The Legend of Zelda: Love and War
by TwiliRupee
Summary: Sequel to Stolen. Seven years have passed since the children were returned. War has broken out in Hyrule, a war that was avoided for as long as possible. Can it be stopped before Hyrule is destoryed?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

No one had expected it. At least, not entirely. They knew there were tensions between Hyrule and Holodrum. But they thought that the treaty that had been put into place soon after the Days of Stolen had fixed the issues. There was to be no invasion, no war, no fighting, and both countries would live in peace within their own boundaries. And, naturally, that is what happened. For a few years.

But the King of Holodrum was persistent. He wanted and craved Hyrule's green fields, its deep blue lake, its towns and villages. He waited five years, and then struck with all his force, first at the small towns on the border, then as the larger villages, still by the border.

Word had gotten to the good King Matthew and Queen Zelda of Hyrule of the attacks, and they fought back, not only with their own military forces but with words as well. When they demanded at a short parley why King Astor was not upholding his end of the bargain, the man sneered. And there in front of Zelda and Matthew, Astor held up the treaty and burned it, laughing almost maniacally as he did so.

That was, of course, the official beginning. That was when word was sent to Hyrule's allies, the Twili, ruled by a Hylian Hero and his Queen, Link and Midna. The news, as expected, was not good, putting both the King and Queen in a sour mood. Link wanted to leave immediately to aid his kingdom, but he had been ordered by the Queen of Hyrule herself to not leave the Twilight Realm unless Hyrule absolutely needed their Hero. He should remain with his family until then. Besides, the war hadn't gotten that bad...yet.

The days stretched to weeks, the weeks to months, and the months to two years. It was a stalemate: neither side gained nor lost. But then, one day, about a year after Astor had first burned the treaty so carefully crafted with good intentions, the bloodiest battle so far occurred. Hundreds upon hundreds were killed and in the end, Holodrum was the victor.

Things had taken a turn for the worse. Less and less battles were won by Hyrule, and soon, Matthew and Zelda had no choice but to call upon their allies of the Twilight. The armies of those who dwelt within the shadows gathered and prepared to go to the aid of Hyrule.

It was with tearful embrace that Midna let her husband and eldest child, a girl of seventeen years, go through the portal to the World of Light to save the kingdom that was undoubtedly entwined with the Twilight Realm forever. Link had donned his green tunic, one he had worn on his first adventures when he was no older than his daughter, Nellie. A Hylian Shield was strapped to his back, but he had no sword. That wouldn't be the case for long, however, since he would make a stop to the resting place of the Blade of Evil's Bane, the sword of the Heroes of Hyrule: the Master Sword.

Princess Nellie had a shirt of chain mail topped with a black-and-green tunic, and a long blade strapped to her hip, her red hair in a tight braid that was tossed in front of one shoulder. Though she seemed not very well defended, she had a deep knowledge of magic taught to her by her mother. She was skilled in all but one ability of the Twili magic, a novice in the way of warping, the Twili's way of getting around.

As the troops filed up to the portal between the Light World and the Twilight Realm, Midna pulled Link aside. She was taller than him by at least half a foot, as were most of the other Twili, but that didn't stop her from claiming his lips one last time. Their two younger children, fourteen-year-old Andrew, and seven-year-old Nico, stood nearby, watching with awe as the Twili troops marched past them with their sister.

"Midna..." Link said softly as they parted ever so slightly.

"You take care of yourself and Nellie, got it?" Midna asked, holding back tears. Link nodded, staring into the fiery pools of light that were his wife's eyes. She stared back, and a tear broke free, racing down her pale cheek. Link reached a hand up, wiping the tear away gently.

"I'll be back before you know it," he said. He slipped from his wife's embrace, bid his two sons farewell, and, with Nellie and the rest of the troops, entered the Light World.

A month passed, and then another, and then a third. Link and Nellie sent letters as often as they could to thier family back home, and Midna read and kept every single one of them, praying to the goddesses that her husband and only daughter would be safe.

And this, dear readers, is where our story begins.

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><p><em>Author's note: Indeed, this is where the story begins. This is seven years after the events of my fanfic <span>Stolen<span>. I'm hoping to work on this and my other two stories Sick Days and Mask. I might not update that fast, but I hope you enjoy! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!_


	2. Chapter 1

_Author's note: Here it is! Chapter one! I hope you enjoy it, 'cause I spent a lot of time trying to make sure it was perfect. Don't forget to tell me what you think of it!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Nellie lay wide awake on the cot in her private tent in the Hylian and Twili camp on the border between Hyrule and Holodrum. She could hear the quiet voices a few tents away, some voices speaking in Hylian, some in the language of the Twili, Soolsetur. It was early dawn, judging by the light through the rough canvas. She had woken from a nightmare, one that she seemed to be having a lot since the beginning of the Twili's involvement in the war.

It was the same dream every time: she was running through a maze, trying to get to one place, only to be deterred by monsters and villains that roamed the corridors of the maze. She somehow managed to get past them, only to suddenly reach her destination and find her family and friends sprawled on the ground dead.

With a sigh, the Twilight Princess got up. She had collapsed on her cot in her chain mail the night before – something she regretted doing now, as she was very sore – so all she had to do was buckle her sword on and throw a cloak over her shoulders. Once ready, she exited the tent. The sun had not even shown itself above the horizon yet, but Nellie didn't care. She loved this time of day, something she thought she inherited from her father.

It was amazing, she realized, how great her father was. All her life she had grown up with stories of the famous Hero of Twilight, who was the Sacred Beast to her people the Twili. She and her brothers looked up to the mysterious Hero, never realizing that all those stories of him and his companion were actually of their parents, Link and Midna. Nellie had found out when she saw the letter from Queen Zelda addressing Link as the Hero. She could barely believe it, until she saw him pull the legendary Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. Then reality came crashing down and she realized just how true the stories were.

There, before here, had been the Hero she admired. Her own father.

Even now, in this military camp, it was sometimes hard to believe. But when she saw the Master Sword, and the green tunic and hat befitting the Heroes of Hyrule, she could, indeed, believe.

"Everything alright, your Highness?" one of the guards standing attention outside her tent asked as the Princess emerged.

"Yes, thank you," Nellie replied, smiling at the guard. She stepped along the path, her boots barely making any noise on the trampled grass, passing a few of the other Twili women who had enlisted as sorceresses to help win the war.

Nellie herself wanted to join the fighting because she wanted to defend the home of her friends in the Light World, as well as her home in the Twilight Realm. She shook her head, thinking of Andrew's teasing voice as he mentioned the name of the Crown Prince of Hyrule, Matt, when Nellie had explained why she wanted to fight. Andrew suspected something between the two, but Nellie denied it immediately – and quite emotionally – only causing her brother to laugh while Nico looked on with confusion.

But after three full months of war, Nellie had grown even closer to Matt, who had accompanied his father on the war front. She smiled as she thought of him, walking through the early morning mists. But her happiness was wiped away when she thought of her nightmare once more.

She rounded a corner, her eyes glued to the ground as she cut behind a soldier's tent near the command tent. She felt someone's hands on her shoulders, and looked up to see Matt grinning at her.

"Watch where you're going, Nel," he said teasingly, a grin on his face, taking his hands off her shoulders. "You almost ran into me."

Nellie rolled her eyes at the nickname. "How many times have I asked you not to call me that?"

"You can tell me a hundred times and I won't stop...Nel." He grinned wider, raising his eyebrows as he said her nickname.

"Oh, shut up. It's too early for this."

"Then why are you up?"

Nellie hesitated, then countered with the same question. "Why are _you_ up?"

Matt sighed. "My arm was bothering me again," he muttered. Earlier that week there had been a skirmish with the Holodrum soldiers. Matt had blocked a strike from an enemy's sword on his shield, but the curve of the weapon had caused a deep gash on the Crown Prince's arm, despite the protective shield. Even now, Nellie could see the white bandage on his arm, slightly stained red. "What about you?" Matt asked again. "Why are you up?"

"Just a bad dream is all," Nellie said. Matt nodded, absently rubbing his wounded arm. After a moment of silence he spoke up again.

"Apparently some message was brought here around midnight. My father and yours have been discussing it ever since.."

"How do you know?"

"One of the guards told me. I've been debating for the past half hour whether or not to go in."

"But why hesitate?"

Matt shrugged. He gestured toward the command tent a few yards away, and Nellie could hear the sound of strained voices. She nodded mutely, but walked over to the entrance of the tent and listened. Matt joined her.

"...Don't know how they found us," Matthew was saying wearily. There was the sound of a fist pounding on the table, making the eavesdropping seventeen-year-olds jump in surprise. "Goddesses, they have enough troops to wipe us off the face of the planet, and we can't even decide what to do!"

There was a heavy sigh coming from Link. "We could just move the camp, gather our forces, and be ready for anything."

"Yes, but you said you were waiting for a letter from Midna."

"I can always send a messenger to the Palace and let them know of our new location."

The two men were quiet, and in that silence that followed, Nellie heard the sound of someone arriving via warping. There was another sigh from inside the command tent.

"If we gather all of our forces..." Link began.

"It still won't be enough. Two years of war have depleted Hyrule's army, and even with a draft."

"Ah, but you forget, there are still Twili forces back home."

"You're saying you'll call a draft for your armies?"

"Possibly. Not sure how they'd react to it. The Twili have always been sensitive with a light-dweller for a king. "

Footsteps on the grass behind the two royal teens brought their attention away from the conversation. They turned and saw a tall Twili messenger walking up to them. He bowed to Nellie first then gave a respectful nod in Matt's direction. "Your Majesties?" the messenger called to the two kings inside the tent.

Within a few moments, the tent flap was moved aside by Link, looking weary and downtrodden. He raised an questioning eyebrow at Nellie and Matt before focusing his attention on the Twili. "Yes, Traavis?"

"I have a message for your Majesty, from the Queen." Traavis held out a letter, which Link took, his face showing unhidden joy.

"Thank you, Traavis. I will let you know when I have a reply ready."

"Of course, your Majesty." The Twili bowed and warped away. Link looked at the letter for a moment before glancing up at Matt and Nellie. "What are you two doing up?" he asked, motioning for them to follow him back into the tent.

"Couldn't sleep," Nellie and Matt replied at the same time, following the Twilight King. The tent had a large but portable table in the center, covered in a large map of the Hyrule-Holodrum border. Someone had taken charcoal and marked the location of their camp and a rather large number near the camp. Several chairs were around the table. One of them was occupied by Matt's father, who was staring at the map, his eyes narrowed in calculation.

Matthew looked up as Link took a seat. He frowned. "Matt, when was the last time you changed that bandage?"

"Umm...yesterday? I think," Matt replied.

"Go change it. Now."

Matt sighed, got up from the chair he had just settled into and left the tent. Matthew sighed, studying the map. He glanced at Link for a moment before he returned his gaze to the map. "Are you going to open it or just stare at it?" There was laughter in the Hylian King's voice.

"Just enjoying the writing," Link said. Matthew laughed lightly.

Nellie looked over his shoulder and noted the neat careful handwriting. "It's from Mother?"

"Yup," Link replied. He turned the letter over and broke the seal, unfolding the papers. Instead of finding one letter, there were two – one for Link, and one for Nellie. "Here." Link handed Nellie her letter. The Twilight Princess sat down in a chair next to her father, and began to read. Matthew was silent, knowing how important letters from home were. He, too, read every letter he got from Zelda with enthusiasm and eagerness. So, instead of saying anything, he studied the map once more.

After a few minutes, Matt returned, a fresh bandage on his arm. The Crown Prince sat down in a chair, his gaze going from Nellie to Link and back. He met his father's gaze and sighed. He wished he would get a letter from home, even though they had just received one recently.

With a sigh, Link finished his letter. He laid the papers on the table, re-reading the first few lines once more.

"Everything good back home?" Matthew asked.

"For the most part," Link replied, looking up. "Nico's sick again. Sixth time since we left."

"Poor boy."

"We can't figure out why he gets ill so often. He's a normal child in every other aspect." Except, Link wanted to say, the fact that Nico had been born two months early. In a fierce encounter with an evil Twili before Nico was born, Midna had been badly injured, as had Nico. Had Midna not taken a red potion to heal her wounds so soon afterward, the child would have not survived the pregnancy. Every time Link thought of this, he sent up a prayer of thanks to the goddesses for his family's safety, that his son and wife were alive and well.

And yet, the effects of that near-death experience were noticeable. Nico was born too early, and he was often ill. Midna and Link wore themselves out trying to care for the child when he was younger, and they had thought they trumped the many colds he always got, until Link and Nellie left for the war. Any improvement on the child's health went downhill, and, just a week into the fighting, Nico was sick once more.

Link sighed, and looked out the slightly open tent flap. The sun was just sparkling over the horizon, and he could see the rays creeping across the ground, lighting everything they touched. Should he ever follow those new rays of sunlight back to the source, traveling east across the land, he would reach the Mirror of Twilight, through which was home.

* * *

><p>Midna stared at the luminous light beyond the Palace of Twilight that was the portal into the Light World. Often, when she couldn't sleep, she would come out to this balcony and watch the Twilight grow lighter – but only just. She would stare at the portal and wish that she were by her husband's side, or that he and Nellie were home safe and sound. It was a fond wish, no doubt, but she knew it couldn't happen now. They were in the middle of war, and unless some miracle happened and peace was restored, Link and Nellie wouldn't be home for a while.<p>

"Mother?"

Midna turned and saw her sons in the doorway. "Why are you awake?" she asked with concern, but she noticed Nico was trying not to shiver.

"Nico said he wasn't feeling too good," Andrew replied, cutting off his brother before he got a chance to speak. Midna walked over and knelt next to Nico, placing a hand on the small boy's forehead.

"You've got a fever," Midna said, and stood. Nico sighed with annoyance. "Come and lie down. I'll see if I can get you some medicine."

Nico grudgingly obeyed, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down at the floor. His strawberry blond hair fell into his crimson eyes, yet he didn't seem to mind, as he seemed completely out of his usual self. Andrew went out to the balcony, staring up at the purple sky of the Twilight Realm.

After wrapping a blanket around Nico's shivering form, Midna went out into the hallway and asked one of the guards to fetch the doctor. "Mother, I'm fine!" Nico protested from the bedroom as Midna came back in.

"I'm sure you are," the Twilight Queen replied as she sat down next to her youngest son. "But I'm still worried, alright?"

Nico sighed in reply, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. Midna wrapped an arm around his shoulders and he leaned toward her. "I miss Father and Nellie," he said quietly.

"I do, too," Midna whispered, holding her son close. She glanced out to the balcony where Andrew was standing. How he had begged to go to war with Nellie and Link. But he was too young to go to war, too young to see the gruesome outcomes of battle. It was not the place for a young Prince. Midna hadn't wanted Nellie to go either, but the Princess was of age and it was her choice.

A knock on the door to the bedchamber brought Midna out of her thoughts. "Your Majesty?" came the muffled voice of the doctor through the door.

"Come in, Otis," Midna called. The doctor entered and bowed, shutting the door behind him. "Thank you so much for coming so early," Midna continued.

"It was no trouble," Otis replied. "I was already awake. How may I be of service?"

"Nico's feeling a bit ill," Midna said. "Again."

"I'm fine," Nico protested once more. He had been sick so many times during his short life. He was tired of it. But there was nothing he could do. So, instead, he did what his mother told him, and sat still as Doctor Otis quickly confirmed that, yes, he was indeed ill once more.

"There is a bug going around the village and palace – a rather bad cold," Otis told Midna.  
>"Some of the children have been catching it. It's no surprise that the Prince caught it."<p>

"Why do I get sick so much?" Nico asked quietly, something he had never asked before.

"We don't know." Otis paused with a slight sigh. "I wish I could tell you, Prince. But for now, as always, just get lots of rest and-"

"I know," Nico interrupted. Then he muttered as he saw his mother give him a stern look, "Sorry."

The doctor chuckled a bit. "That's quite alright, Prince. I know you know the drill by know. It's a doctor's duty to remind their patient's nevertheless." With those words, Otis turned to Midna. "I shall have some medicine brought up as soon as possible. It will lessen his fever."

Midna stood. "Thank you, Otis. Your services are much appreciated."

Otis bowed. "You're welcome, my Queen." He took his leave, shutting the door softly behind him. Midna turned to look at Nico, and found that her youngest was curled up under the blanket on Link's vacant side of the bed. The Prince was sound asleep, faster than Midna had ever seen him fall asleep before, which was saying something, seeing as the boy had always refused to sleep since he was a child, even when he was sick. She tucked an extra blanket over him and watched him for a moment.

The child was getting weaker. He was sick six times in half as many months. There was barely any time for him to recover before the next illness hit him. Luckily they had all been colds, nothing huge, but Midna knew that worse illnesses could eventually effect him, like the pneumonia Andrew and Nellie had gotten during the Time of the Stolen.

Closing her eyes, Midna sent up a silent prayer to the goddesses. _Please, save my child_.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Once Midna made sure Nico had taken his medicine and was asleep once more, she joined Andrew out on the balcony. For a long while, they were silent.

"Why couldn't I have gone with them?" Andrew asked eventually.

"You are too young," Midna replied.

"I'm fourteen. That's not old enough?"

"No. Andrew, war is awful. You would see things that you could never forget." Midna sighed. "I've seen things like that before, and trust me, it's not pleasant."

"What have you seen?" Andrew's voice was soft yet filled with curiosity.

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I've seen the lifeless corpses of Hylian knights and soldiers littering the throne room of Hyrule Castle." She elaborated a bit more, noticing how Andrew's expression grew more and more horrified.

"When...when was that?" he asked when Midna finished.

"At the beginning of the Twilight War. The false king, Zant, attacked Hyrule with an army of Shadow Beasts. Zelda, who was at the time the Princess of Hyrule, had no choice but to give into those monsters, lest more people be brutally murdered."

"Wait, that sounds an awful lot like the stories Father always told us. The ones about the Hero of Twilight."

"That's because they are the stories. Nellie knows now, and I think Nico suspects." Midna looked at her son. "You father and I know those stories so well because at one point, long ago, we lived those stories. We battled the giant, disgusting fish, and the malicious dragon, and rescued the villagers of Ordon. We fought countless monsters and villains, including the false king Zant, and the evil Ganondorf."

"Ganondorf was real?"

"Oh yes, very much so. He almost killed Link and me." Midna sighed and studied her son, noting how he was still in his pajamas. "Go get ready for today, and we'll have a first lesson before breakfast."

Andrew nodded and hurried from the room. If anything, the Prince was most excited about the lessons in Twili magic. Midna watched him go and, with a sigh, turned back to the view of the portal into the Light World.

* * *

><p>Matt stood on a hill facing Hyrule, watching the bright sun rise higher in the sky. He knew it was impossible, that they were too far, but he was trying to see the tall spires of Hyrule Castle. He sighed. "I want to go home," he muttered. He missed his mother and younger sisters. He missed walking around the Castle Town, riding across the Hyrule Fields to visit his friends in Kakariko Village, lying in the grass with the silhouette of his home printed against the blue sky.<p>

"Hey, Matt."

The Crown Prince shook his head in an attempt to clear his head and turned. He saw Nellie at the base of the hill, and scooped up the two bags at his feet. "What's up?" Matt asked, starting toward her.

"Your father wanted me to make sure you were packed up."

"I am." He motioned to the packs slung over his shoulder. He and Nellie, along with the rest of the soldiers in the camp, were getting ready to move their location, after Matthew had announced that their current location was compromised, and they were in danger of being completely annihilated by the enemy troops.

"Let me help you with that," Matt said, reaching for the pack that he knew contained Nellie's tent and cot, but Nellie moved out of the way at the last second. Despite the size of what the two objects were when in use, the Twili's magic had enabled the warriors to carry their tents and cots with them in small portable packs that weren't too heavy.

"No, Matt, I've got it," Nellie said, adjusting the pack better on her shoulder.

"Yes, but it's a gentlemanly thing to do."

"You, a gentleman? Ha."

"I am a prince after all." Matt adopted a stuffy voice that he had heard the nobles of Hyrule using as they talked. He snatched the packs off of Nellie's shoulder, and slung them over his own. "I was raised to be a proper gentleman so that I may rule my kingdom and have all the proper manners of a king."

Nellie giggled. "You Hylians have to learn it all. Grace and manners come naturally to us Twili," she joked.

"That's 'cause you're so tall. Or at least, full Twili are."

Nellie narrowed her eyes. "Don't pick on me because of my parentage. I'm proud to be what I am."

"I know." Matt stepped in front of Nellie, stopping her. "Nellie, I like you the way you are."

For a moment, the two royal teens looked at each other. Then, Nellie reached for her pack, which Matt still held. "Give it back, Matt, I can handle it."

"No, I don't think I will. Let me have a chance at being nice." Matt continued down the path and Nellie hurried to walk beside him.

"Don't be stubborn, Matt."

"What's all this?" They heard another voice before they felt someone wrap his arms around their shoulders – one arm each – and began walking between them. "Are the lovebirds arguing?"

Nellie looked up to see the blond man she had known her whole life. "Uncle Colin!" she protested, attempting to free herself from his grip. The knight was not really her uncle, but he had been like a little brother to her father for many years, and he was as close as family as he could be without actually being related.

"What?" Colin asked, feigning innocence and grinning

"We're not lovebirds, Uncle Colin. Just friends," Nellie explained.

"We could pretend we are," Matt suggested, laughing at Nellie's expression. The Twilight Princess huffed and twisted out from under Colin's arm, snatching her pack back from Matt.

"Oh, Nellie, don't be such a spoil-sport," Colin said, letting Matt walk free again as Link and Matthew joined the group. "We're only teasing."

"Teasing Nellie?" Link asked in a joking voice. "You should know better, Colin."

"Ah, what would I know? I'm not you city-folk. I'm just a yokel from southern Hyrule." Colin chuckled as he faked a strange accent.

Link and Matthew laughed. Matt grinned, but he looked at Nellie, seeing a blush across her face. He slowed his pace to match hers, hoping the three adults wouldn't notice them. "Did we take it too far?" he asked her, sincerity in his voice.

"No...it's not that."

"Then what is it? My comment?"

Nellie shrugged, but she didn't want to admit that it was true.

"It is, isn't it?" Matt sighed, and glanced toward the adults once more. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be." She looked at him, her blue eyes meeting his brown ones. "It didn't upset me, Matt. Not one bit."

"Oh." They walked in silence for a moment or two. Matt caught his father sending a glance back at him and Nellie, but the King of Hyrule made no comment. "I meant it, you know," Matt said finally.

"Meant what?"

"What I said about Colin's comment of us being lovebirds. It is almost true."

Nellie nearly tripped as she heard these words. "How do you know that?"

"Oh, come on, I know you like me...just as I like you. It's just not official."

"But, Matt, we both have our kingdoms to attend to. You will eventually be King of Hyrule, and I Queen of the Twilight Realm. We can't just abandon them."

Matt laughed. Then, lowing his voice, he said, "It's not like if we court we're destined to be married."

"And what if we do marry?" Nellie's voice was barely above a whisper as she looked up at her friend. She slowed to a stop and Matt faced her, taking her hands.

"Then we'll figure it out, Nel. Don't worry." He smiled. "So?"

Nellie sighed, slipping her hands from Matt's and looked away. "I suppose..." she paused to look at him, "I suppose we could try it out."

Matt's grin widened. "Thanks, Nel. You won't regret it."

"I hope not." Nellie grinned at him, feeling some unexplained happiness rising within her. Yes, it was true, she loved Matt. But her kingdom, her people's happiness had to come before her own. "Well, then, as the young woman you are courting, I forbid you to call me Nel."

"It's a term of endearment. And my nickname for you." Nellie sighed and felt Matt wrap his arm around her shoulders. "But, if it bothers you so much, Nel, I can stop."

Nellie thought for a moment. "I'm joking, Matt. I'd love any nickname you would give me."

"Good."

They walked in silence once more. Soon, the rest of the camp had joined the journey north toward the next best place to camp.

About an hour of traveling had passed when Link turned to look at his daughter. "Come here for a moment, Nellie," he said. Nellie obeyed, but not before she sent one last smile at Matt. She caught up to her father and walked beside him, wondering what he wanted to tell her. "Have I ever told you about the end of my first adventure as the Hero of Twilight?" Link asked, a pensive look on his face.

"I don't think so, Father. Why?"

"No reason. But listen, and I'll tell you. Your mother had just truly revealed to me that she was the Twilight Princess, the true ruler. And, when the adventure was all said and done, she had to return back to her home. The kingdom was a mess because of Zant, and she needed to be there to help rebuild. So Zelda and I went with her to the Mirror. Zelda went as a fellow ruler, and I went because I loved your mother, and wanted to spend every last moment I could with her, and she loved me. As she left the world of light, she did something I never expected her to do: she shattered the Mirror of Twilight into thousands of shining specks."

"Why? If she loved you back, then why do something that would prevent you from ever seeing her again?"

"It was another love she harbored. One of her people. She couldn't bear to have the Twili suffer anymore than they already had, nor the Hylians, in case another wanted to take either kingdom, like Zant had tried to do." Here, Link paused, pushing down the emotions that were threatening to rise like they always did when he recalled the sight of the shattered Mirror. "She broke off our only connection – which I didn't know she could fix if she wanted to – and it tore both of our hearts until we were reunited two years later. And yet..." Link looked at his daughter carefully. "She did it out of the love of her people."

"Why are you telling me this, Father?" Nellie asked after a moment.

"Sometimes, Nellie, it's better to give yourself happiness over your people's. I'm not saying you should do this all the time, because that's how we get tyrants and the like. But look what happened. The Mirror was fixed, and both nations are happy, as are your mother and I. Everyone has to go through something like this. I have a feeling that you will reach this decision very soon. Follow your heart, or give yourself to the people and abandon your happiness. But know, Nellie, that it is alright to be happy. Promise me you'll consider that option."

"I will, Father."

"Now, I won't keep you away from Matt any longer."

Nellie grinned and slowed her pace, glancing back at her new boyfriend. He picked up his pace and soon the pair were walking side by side once more. "So, what was that about?" Matt asked.

"Just some food for thought." Nellie grinned, feeling sparks of joy fly through her as Matt took her hand.

* * *

><p>For the rest of the day, the army marched north. It was tedious and tiring, having to walk all that distance, for the only horses they had were to pull carts for the objects that couldn't be carried on the soldiers' backs. No one, not even the two Kings leading the army, was exempt from the walking.<p>

They were heading to a location that had once been the main crossing between Hyrule and Holodrum: a large stone bridge, much like the Great Bridge of Hylia, that had been a project funded by both kingdoms long ago in a time of peace. But unlike the Great Bridge of Hylia, this bridge spanned a shallow, yet dangerous and rocky gulch in the terrain. This bridge was put into place to make trade and travelers easier. Since Hyrule was highly defensible, with mountains surrounding it on all sides, this was the place where the first attacks happened.

By twilight, the bridge was in sight. The army settled near the Hylian end of the bridge, and soon the camp was erected. Nellie and Matt made a point to pitch their tents right next to each other.

When Matt finished setting up his tent, he went over to Nellie's tent. She was looking though her pack, sitting on the edge of her cot. Her red bangs fell into her eyes, and she brushed them away once, futilely, before she looked up to see him standing there. "Hey," she greeted.

"What are you up to?" Matt said, sitting next to her on her cot.

"Just looking for my quill. I'm trying to write a response to Mother's letter, but I packed everything together so quickly this morning that I don't know where I put it."

"I'm sure you'll find it." Matt stood, and pulled Nellie to her feet. "For now, let's see if we can scrounge up something to eat!"

Nellie giggled and followed her boyfriend out of the tent.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: There you have it. Plot twist. Sorta. Hope you enjoyed and don't hesitate to tell me what you think!<em>


	4. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Here's the next chapter! I've got one or so more fully written chapters left, so look forward to a quick update! Special thanks goes to **TheLoneWolfe90 **for reviewing._

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

"Hey, check it out!" Matt's excited exclamation make Link and Nellie pause in their sword practice. It was a week after moving camp. A chilly breeze blew, but the practice kept the two warm.

"What?" Nellie called. Her boyfriend was, once again, standing on a nearby hill.

"You can see Death Mountain from here!"

Both Nellie and Link went up to join him, looking out over the vast fields of Hyrule. True to Matt's word, there was a red blur on the horizon, black smoke rising up from it. The overcast sky only helped with the sight, as the clouds above Death Mountain were stained red from the fires within the mountain.

"It's a little bit of home, huh?" Link said, nostalgia in his voice.

"It is," Matt agreed.

"Boy, I remember my first encounter with a Goron on that crazy mountain. He threw me right off the cliff side. Midna wouldn't stop laughing."

"How'd you get past him the second time?" Nellie asked. "You always said it was a secret in your stories."

"It is a secret. The only ones who know are Midna, the mayor of Ordon, and myself."

"You're not going to tell us, are you?" Matt commented.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?"

Nellie laughed, and Matt pretended to pout. The Hylian Prince continued looking out over the grasslands stretched before him, staring almost longingly at Death Mountain.

"Oh, look," Link said, pointing to a nearby range of mountains. "I think those are the Snowhead Mountain Range. I've never been there, but I heard it's colder than Snowpeak." At the name of the mountain in north-eastern Hyrule, both Nellie and Matt shivered. That had been the place where they were kept for ransom seven years ago during the Time of the Stolen. There was nothing but bad memories there, even though Link had told them before that there was good things on that mountain, like the sledding on frozen leaves and the kind yeti couple. "I heard," Link continued, not noticing the teens' reactions to the name of the yeti-inhabited mountain, "that it's storms, for whatever reason, affect the other areas around them. Since we're getting into autumn, we could get some snow around here."

"Really?" Nellie asked, excitement filling her voice. Despite her bad experience on Snowpeak, she loved snow as long as there was a warm fire and a hot beverage to enjoy when she got to cold.

"Yup. Though it could make things difficult for us. We are camping, after all." After a moment, they heard a Twili Knight – a _riddari_ – calling for Link down at the bottom of the hill. He gave an apologetic smile toward Nellie and Matt and started down the hill.

"You think we'll get snow?" Nellie asked as Matt looked up at the sky.

"Oh, yes," Matt replied. "Most certainly."

"You sure sound confident."

"That's because it _is_ snowing."

"What?" Nellie looked up as well and a snowflake landed on her cheek. She grinned and looked at Matt. Her blue eyes sparkled with happiness as Matt stepped closer, taking her hands in his.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

"And peaceful. From what I've seen, everyone just stops to look at the snow."

"Yeah." After a few moments, he spoke up again. "My mother told me once that no two snowflakes are the same. They're all unique."

"How can you tell? They melt so quickly."

"I don't know. But Mother is pretty smart."

Nellie laughed softly, and then shivered in a sharp cold breeze. Matt noticed and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder. "So," Matt began, "do you like having a boyfriend?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A curious one."

Nellie sighed playfully. "Yes, I do." She looked into his brown eyes, a teasing sparkle in her own. "He's a good source of warmth."

Matt chuckled. "I'm glad you think so." He held her closer, and Nellie once again felt that happiness rise within her.

Below at the base of the hill, Matthew looked up as he passed by, noticing the two in that comfortable embrace. With a grin and a shake of his head, he continued on. He would not say anything, however, until he met with Link later that evening by the command tent.

At hearing the news, Link raised his eyebrows. "Really? Does this mean they are courting?"

Matthew shrugged. "I don't really know. They are very close friends." Link nodded in reply, but he was thinking on something else. He thought he heard something. Turning toward the west, he strained his ears. "What is it?" Matthew asked.

"I don't know. I thought I heard hoof beats. But it must have been nothing. I don't hear anything anymore."

"Ah, the man with the wolf ears!"

Link grinned. "And the wolf teeth, if you're not careful."

Matthew laughed. The two kings walked on, but what they didn't realize was that Link was right. He _had_ heard something...a mounted scout from Holodrum riding away from the camp across the great stone bridge connecting the two countries.

The scout steered his mount southwest, and rode hard for half an hour, his report ready in his mind. It was a dangerous job, getting so close to the Hylian and Twili camp without being noticed. But without a doubt, this man was good at his job. And he had seen all he needed to know for his superiors.

He arrived at his camp, and dismounted. He threw the reins of the horse to one of his underlings and marched straight for the lavishly decorated tent in the middle of the camp. Two guards with spiked spears and hidden faces stood in front of the entrance, but let the scout by as he approached.

Inside the tent was an eerie green fire glowing in a brazier. The poor lighting caused the face man in the back of the tent to be hidden in shadows. But the scout could still feel his gaze. "My King Astor," the scout said, bowing deeply.

"What news have you, Kaleeno?"

"Our enemies have fallen right into our trap. They've made camp by the border bridge."

"Ah. Good. Did you find out anything else?"

"Yes, your majesty. The Hylian King, as you predicted, is with them. As is the Twili King. But, they have their heirs with them. The Crown Prince and the Twilight Princess."

"Hmm, that would be a loss if those two would lose their lives in our upcoming battle."

"Indeed, your majesty."

"Send for General Carter, would you?"

"Yes, your majesty."

The scout left the tent, and it was not long before the general of the Holodrum troops entered. He was a tall man, with a stocky build, and a fresh scar across his face from a battle a few months ago. "You sent for me, my king?" the man asked.

"I did," Astor said, and quickly related the details of Kaleeno's scouting mission. "You must prepare yourself and your troops for the upcoming battle," the king said.

"Any specific orders?" Carter asked.

"Yes. Actually." Astor motioned for the general to sit, and Carter did as he was told. "I want to draw them across the bridge. They will come at us and we will only have to fight a small number of people at once, because the bridge is so narrow."

"Sir..." Carter began, and received a glare for the interruption. "Pardon me, your majesty, but wouldn't they try the same strategy on us?"

"Perhaps. We'll have to see. Either way, I have an idea. We could win this battle and force them to retreat. In fact, I am so confident in my plan that I will be joining the battle."

"What is it?" Carter leaned forward, eager to hear this.

"Explosives. Set in just the right place. If we blow out the supports of the bridge, we could cause massive amounts of damage to their army. After this, those pitiful Hylians and Twili will know not to mess with us!"

"It is a good plan, your majesty. Should I get some of our pyrotechnicians on the job?"

"Yes. And in the battle, have them set the bombs."

Carter nodded and stood. "When shall we depart?"

"On the morrow. We should have enough explosives to get the job done. Now, go."

"Aye, sir." Carter bowed and left the tent. He walked through the camp towards the section where the pyrotechnicians camped. These men were soldiers like the rest of the troops under Astor's control, but they had a knowledge of the explosives needed for the upcoming battle. The sergeant of this company of pyrotechnicians was idling by the campfire, experimenting with small amounts of a special black powder. Sparks and smoke sizzled up from the powder as it crackled and popped.

"Jarvis," Carter ordered. Jarvis looked up.

"Sir?"

"We have a job."

* * *

><p>That evening, once the camp had settled down for the night, Link sat down at the table in the command tent. He unfolded Midna's most recent letter to him and reread it, smiling as his eyes traced over the familiar handwriting of his wife. Once he reread the letter, he pulled a quill, ink, and paper toward him, moving the letter to the side. Nellie had already written her reply, and now he needed to write his. Dipping his quill in the ink, he began to write.<p>

"My dearest Midna, I apologize for not being able to write to you as soon as I could. We have just moved our camp to a more defensible location, and I've only just gotten time to sit down and write back to you.

"I am sorry to hear that Nico is ill once more. I can only pray that he will recover quickly. Give him and Andrew my love.

"As for the fighting, there has been nothing for a whole week. It makes me suspicious, as we have never gone so long without a skirmish or battle. Perhaps they've got something planned."

Link paused there, reading over what he wrote. He pictured Midna's face, longing to see her. They had not spent such a long time away in all the years they were married. In fact, the longest time he had been away from Midna since he met her were those two years after his first quest, when he doubted he would ever see her again. He thought of all the time they had spent together: when they first met in their cursed forms, him a wolf and she an imp; those endless days running around dungeons and temples in search of dangerous Twili artifacts; fighting Zant and Ganondorf; trying to save the worlds all over again; the day they got married and those days their children were born; and going on a search to rescue the kidnapped children.

Oh, yes, they had had so much time together. And now, as he thought of her, he wished to see her again. It would be so easy to just warp back to the Mirror and visit, if only for a day. But, even with this lax in attacks, he couldn't do anything like that. He was a leader. He couldn't abandon his troops in case there was an attack.

He looked back down at his letter and continued to write, not pausing until he was done fifteen minutes later. He folded and sealed the letter and gathered his writing materials together. He stopped by his personal tent near his daughter's to drop off his quill, ink, and spare paper. He paused with a smile as he overheard Nellie and Matt deep in conversation. He continued along, noting the light dusting of snow along the ground, trampled into the dirt by the constant treading of boots by the soldiers. His path led him to a cluster of Twili tents. A couple of Link's soldiers were huddled by a campfire. It looked like one was telling a story in Soolsetur: he was gesturing animatedly and his two other companions were listening with grins on their faces. One of the listeners was Link's messenger, Traavis.

Seeing Link, the Twili stopped talking, standing to bow to their King. "I have the reply, Traavis," Link said, holding up the letter he had just written. "Could you get this to Midna as soon as you can?"

"I shall leave immediately, your Majesty," Traavis replied as Link handed him the letter. He nodded to his companions and then bowed to Link, warping straight to the Mirror Chamber. He breathed a sigh of relief in the warmth of the desert, glad that he no longer was surrounded by chilly and snowy air. But he moved quickly and warped into the Twilight Realm, hurrying to the Palace. It was late, but he had an intuition that the Queen of the Twilight would be awake.

As he entered the more private corridor of the Palace, he saw Midna standing in the doorway of her youngest son, looking in with concern. Her gaze landed on Traavis and she smiled.

"I assume you have some good news?" she asked.

"Indeed, my Queen," Traavis replied. He handed her the letter and departed, his duty done.

* * *

><p>The snowball hit Matt square in the face as he left his tent the next morning. He stumbled back, dazed, before he heard the bright laughter of Nellie. He wiped the frozen mush off his face and glared teasingly at Nellie. "Yes, thank you for that wake up," he growled, and glanced up at the dark and cloudy sky.<p>

Nellie continued to laugh, and walked up to him over the three inches of freshly fallen snow. "You're quite welcome," she giggled. "I'm sorry. It was a perfect opportunity. With all this snow and you so unsuspecting."

Matt raised his eyebrows. He tackled her into the snow and managed to shove a handful of the powdery stuff into her face. Nellie replied in kind, and this continued for a few moments until Matt had pinned Nellie down in the snow. Both were flustered from the exertion, and from the closeness. The two had gained an audience, but neither noticed.

"You think you're all big and tough, huh?" Nellie teased. Matt grinned.

"And yet you love me all the same."

"You have a big ego, too," she stated flatly. Matt chuckled and unconsciously moved his face closer to hers, letting her arms go.

"And what are you going to do about that?" he asked her.

"Well, I was going to shove your face in the snow...but I think I'll kiss you instead." Her arms circled his neck and brought him closer, their eyes shutting. They were just seconds away from their first kiss.

"We're under attack!"

The shout and calls of warning rang through the camp. Nellie and Matt moved apart in surprise.

"Holodrum soldiers due west!"

"Prepare for battle!"

Matt stood and quickly helped Nellie to her feet. "Ready?" he asked, looking at her. Her cheeks were red from the closeness they had been in just moments before. But she nodded. She and Matt hurried to join Matthew and Link at the battle line.

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><p><em>Author's note: Dun dun duuuun! Too much suspense? It is a cliffhangar, silly. You'll just have to wait and see what will happen! Don't forget to review! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this story of mine!<em>


	5. Chapter 4

_Author's note: sorry it took so long. I've been insanely busy and I caught a cold the other week and all I wanted to do was read. Mostly I've been busy. But yeah, here's a rather short chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed: **TheLoneWolfe90** and **MyPie234**. *applauds* Enjoy and keep telling me what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"I don't like this," Link muttered to Matthew. Their enemy was waiting for them at the other side of the bridge, taunting them.

"Neither do I. We shouldn't cross."

"I agree. But let me see if I can get them over here." Link stepped forward. "Are you all so cowardly that you can't even cross a bridge?" he shouted to the Holodrum forces.

"Are you?" the general shouted back. "They say you have immense courage, but it doesn't seem like it!"

"That's because I like to stay on my side of the border. You all are idiots to want to take this land!"

One of the Holodrum soldiers broke rank and began charging across the bridge. Link whipped out his bow and shot him down before he got halfway. "Anyone else want to cross?" the Hero demanded. He turned back to his troops as the Holodrum soldiers shouted him down. He gave a nod and the archers readied their bows. The Twili, too, readied their magic. Link turned back to his enemy. "Come on! I haven't got all day, you cowardly swine!"

Several more soldiers broke rank, and this time, Link let them by. Three of the four were shot down by the archers, and the fourth engaged Link in a sword fight. Link blocked the man's swing expertly and knocked his sword from his hand. "You fight like a girl!" Link shouted as the man collapsed, gasping for breath from the punch he had received in his stomach. "You all do!"

And that started the battle. General Carter of the Holodrum forces was no longer able to keep his men in check, and the Hylian and Twili forces stood their ground.

Battle was met at the Hylian side.

Unfortunately, the Hylians weren't able to keep their ground. They were forced to back up or be killed. Link and Matthew made sure to fight by their children's side. Though the two teenagers were skills warriors, there was still a worry to keep them safe.

The battle continued half an hour before Link saw the villain himself. Astor of Holodrum was bearing down on Nellie near the rocky gulch the bridge spanned over. Link dashed to help her, knowing how dangerous of an opponent Astor was. Nellie managed to push Astor back by a blast of her magic. By this point, Link had made it to his daughter, and stood by her, ready to defend her. Astor glared at Link, and picked him as his target instead. The pair circled each other, and Link noticed with satisfaction that Matt stood guard next to Nellie.

"I've never fought an uglier monster than you, Astor," Link growled.

"Really? You must have not fought much at all to think that."

Link smirked. "Oh, no. Ganondorf's face is a pleasant sight compared to you. And let me tell you, that guy's face was ugly!"

"Insult me all you want. You will not get anything out of me!"

"Oh, and don't get me started on that giant arachnid! Man, it was disgusting, but I'd rather fight five of them now than look at your mug."

Astor growled and lunged with his sword, which Link blocked on his shield. The impact jarred his arm. He hadn't had to fight someone this strong since Ganondorf. Stumbling back a few paces, he raised his sword.

"Not so tough now, are you?" the Holodrum king asked.

"Perhaps it's an act. Are you, by the way, distracted by fishing lures like Ganondorf was?"

"You think I'm a fish?" Astor lunged again, and Link blocked the blade, the swords locking at the hilt. Both men shoved against each other. Link felt his feet slipping, and he attempted to gain back his footing.

"No. I think you need to go crawl in a hole and leave my home country alone."

"Says the one who dwells in shadow."

"And proud of it." With those words, Link overpowered his opponent and kicked him backwards into the gulch. Astor tumbled down across the rocky terrain, scrabbling to slow his decent. Finally, he reached the bottom of the hill and glared up at Link before looking for a way back up.

Link turned toward Nellie and Matt. "Are you both alright?" he asked.

"Yes, Father," Nellie replied as Matt nodded. Link nodded and looked back down at Astor, only to see the man backing away from the bridge, a victorious smirk on his face. He followed the evil king's gaze and saw what was going on. Holodrum soldiers were piling explosives around the support of the bridge. They looked about ready to ignite it. And he knew, from his experience with bombs, that the explosion and aftermath would cause great harm to the Hylian and Twili armies. Link looked around frantically and saw Matthew nearby.

"Pull back from the bridge!" the Twilight King shouted. Matthew glanced in his direction and nodded. He began to shout the order. Soldiers heeded the call, spreading it at they moved away from the bridge. Link hurried to the edge of the hill, and Nellie and Matt followed. The three slid down into the gulch and ran for all they were worth toward the line of black powder that had been ignited at the opposite hill. Link was in the lead, followed by Matt, while Nellie brought up the rear.

But there was no way they could make it. Link saw a bright flash as the powder ignited the rest of the the explosives. A large fireball rose up. And then it all came: the heat, the noise, the shards of rock hit him all at once, and he was sent flying backwards. He subconsciously braced himself for the impact onto the hard ground, but instead he felt the familiar – almost refreshing – sensation of warping.

And then it was all over. He could feel the sun on his face and warm sand supporting him. There was also a shimmering sound, one that he knew but could not place. His side blazed in pain and he recognized the sensation of blood soaking his tunic. Yet he pried his eyes open and saw something he had longed to see: the Mirror of Twilight.

"Father!" Nellie moved into his line of vision. She had a few burns and scratches on her face, and she looked pale, like she was about to faint.

"You warped us here?" Link managed to ask around the pain. He saw Nellie nod before his world blacked into unconsciousness.

"Father?" Nellie called. But she knew he couldn't hear her. Frantically she checked for his pulse, and found it, not wanting to look at the wound in his side. She looked around. Matt was lying to the side, unconscious as well. She moved over to him, unable to get to her feet. She saw a cut on his forehead, red blood trailing down his face from it. "Oh, goddesses, no," the Twilight Princess muttered, searching for her boyfriend's pulse, and quickly finding it.

Now what to do? She got shakily to her feet and headed to the Mirror. If she could just get through, she could get help. She stumbled up the stairs, her vision swimming. She had not been affected by the explosion that much, but by the magic she had done. For someone unskilled with warping, she had outdone any at her level, by warping such a far distance and transporting two others besides herself, and paid the price. She remembered her mother telling her about this.

As she reached the warping point, she glanced back at her father and boyfriend, and then faced the portal, willing her magic to take her through it. With a sickening drain on her already low strength, she warped. She collapsed to her hands and knees, gasping for breath. But she gathered the last of her strength and shouted desperately for help. Her arms gave out and her vision blacked, yet she was still aware of her surroundings.

She heard running footsteps, and her name being called. She could only put forth a final effort and weakly speak. "Help. My father. Light world."

And then everything went black.

The three guards that had found Nellie exchanged glances. The oldest of the three took charge. "Wyatt, help her Highness back to the Palace and alert the Queen. Flyyn you and I will investigate the Light World."

Wyatt and Flyyn nodded. Wyatt picked up the unconscious Princess, carrying her bridal-style back toward the Palace, while Flyyn and his companion stepped toward the portal and warped.

Flyyn was the first to see the two figures collapsed on the sand. "Goddesses, look," he said, vaulting over the edge of the glowing stairs and onto the sand. He hurried over to his King, noting with shock and horror the blood that pooled around him in the sand. Nearby and also unconscious, was the Prince of the Light. Flyyn looked at his companion questioningly.

"We need help," the grizzled guard replied.

"Should I go back, sir?"

"No. I will. Stay and keep watch."

Flyyn nodded and watched his fellow guard disappear back through the portal in a swirl of black specks.

* * *

><p>Matthew looked dazedly around the camp, which had been frantically moved a mile or so away from the border bridge soon after the fight had ended. During the battle, the Hylian King had been trying to move his troops away from the bridge, and they were succeeding, until the explosion. What few Holodrum soldiers were left on their side either fled across the gulch or were killed, and the battle ended swiftly. Once the camp was moved, Matthew and a squadron of Twili and Hylians went to search the battlefield for their wounded companions.<p>

Matthew's mood had been dampened even more when he had encountered a young Hylian soldier on the verge of death. The soldier – not much older than Matt and Nellie – begged him to ease his passing. Matthew had hesitated, but obliged, muttering a quick blessing of peace over the soldier. It was a horrid sight, and not one Matthew ever wished to see ever again.

The Hylian King had then set about looking for others. He had known that neither Link, Nellie, nor Matt had been with the camp when they had moved it, and there had been no sign of them on the battlefield. But there were still people looking, even after Matthew had returned to camp. Perhaps they would find them.

"Your Majesty!"

Matthew looked up and saw one of his lieutenants hurrying up to him.

"Sir, the party searching the battlefield is returning," the lieutenant said.

"Any sign of my son and the others?"

"No, sir, not that I could tell."

"And the wounded?"

"The healers are working as hard as they can."

"Good."

The soldier noted the distant look on his king's face and quickly took his leave. Matthew continued his wandering to the command tent, which he entered. He sat down at the table and stared unseeing at the map before him, fighting back the sorrow. If indeed Matt, Nellie, and Link were lost in this battle, how could he explain to Zelda that their son was gone? How could he tell Midna that she no longer had a husband and a daughter?

The sorrow seemed to overflow, and a few tears escaped his control before he swiped them away.

"Your Majesty?"

The King looked up. A Twili stood in the entrance to the tent. He slowly came forward. "I have news, sir." He reached the table and set upon it a sword, but not just any sword. It was Matt's. Matthew stared at it almost incomprehensibly. Then he sighed and put his face in his hands. The Twili spoke up once more. "Please, sir, do not grieve so. We did not find any bodies. They could still be alive. This was the only thing we found that we could take back with us."

"What do you mean?"

"We found His Majesty Link's sword, but when any of us attempted to pick it up, we found that we could not even touch it." The Twili paused. "If, indeed, sir, they were lost in the explosion, we would have found more than just the swords. Have hope."

Matthew nodded, but did not look up at the _riddari_ before him. "I thank you for bringing this news."

"Of course, sir. I shall leave you." The Twili left, and although his advice was good, Matthew did not feel any hope at all.


	6. Chapter 5

_Author's note: I love this chapter. I don't know why, but I do. Perhaps it's the fluff I threw in here between our favorite couple (Link and Midna), or the new couple (Nellie and Matt). Maybe it's the plot of the chapter that I really, really wanted to write for a long time but never got around to it? I don't really know._

_Or maybe it was playing with the italics in the beginning of the chapter. :D_

_Whatever. Anyway, I have chapter six written and chapter seven half-written. I need to keep up with my posting. I'm getting behind in my chapters...I blame school._

_So read, enjoy, and review!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

_With a fierce noise, Hyrule Castle exploded. Chunks of rock flew into the sky, and Link nearly lost his balance as he started dumbfounded at the cloud of smoke. He tried to call out Midna's name, knowing that she was in the castle, but his voice wouldn't work. And the wound in his side from his battle against the beast form of Ganon was only getting worse, almost too painful to endure._

_Wait._

_He didn't remember getting a wound like that during that fight. Ganon had always charged him head on, not from the side. In fact, he wouldn't have been able to continue to fight with such a wound. That didn't make sense._

_Well, no matter. He had enough energy to run to Midna. He would do so. Desperation overtook him. He had to make sure she was alright._

"Hold still, my Little Wolf."

_The voice cut across the air. Link wanted to obey it, finding comfort in the voice. But he had to get to Midna. He just had to! He struggled against the sudden restraints that held his arms down and his legs from moving. This was Ganondorf's fault. The fact that there were these restraints on him was some trickery of Ganondorf, done to prevent him from getting to Midna._

_Once again, it struck him. This hadn't happened, had it?_

_It didn't matter. All that mattered was getting to Midna. Link fought harder against the restraints, only to hear that comforting voice again._

"Hold still! You're only making it worse! Goddesses, wake up, will you?"

_Another sharp, breathtaking pain issued from his side _and he was torn from the dream. His eyes snapped open and he saw Midna looking down sternly at him. His head was resting in her lap and she was holding his arms, keeping him from striking out. Another Twili stood at the foot of the bed, holding down his legs.

"Hold still," Midna ordered again as Link attempted to shy away from the pain.

It took Link a moment to register his surroundings. He was in a spare bedroom in the palace, and the Twili at the end of the bed he recognized at the Palace doctor.

"What...how?" he began.

"Hush, Link. Let Otis take care of that wound. Then we'll talk." Link flinched again. "And hold still!" Midna added.

"I will." Link glanced at Otis. The Palace doctor had released his legs and wordlessly continued to clean the wound.

"There's a good boy," Midna teased, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"I'm not a dog, you know," Link replied. "Not entirely." Then he hissed in pain.

"I apologize, your Majesty," Otis said. "Your injury is proving difficult. If I may ask, what caused it?"

"Explosion," Link answered, his voice tight with pain. He could see the questioning look in Otis' eyes, but the Hero didn't go into any detail. With an agonized sigh, he grit his teeth, shut his eyes, and bore the pain. He had to wait another fifteen minutes before Otis was finished cleaning and binding the wound. The doctor left the King and Queen of Twilight to themselves. Link looked up at Midna, slightly dazed from the pain. "I missed you so much," he said softly and lovingly.

"I missed you more," Midna replied, leaning down to kiss him again.

"So how did I get here?" Link asked after a moment.

"You tell me. All I know is that some of the guards found Nellie collapsed on our side of the Mirror. They went out to the world of light and found you and Matt unconscious in the sand."

"Are they alright?" Link asked.

"Yes. Don't worry. Now, tell me what you meant by explosion."

Link hesitated, but did as he was told, recounting the whole battle. Midna listened quietly, a pensive frown on her face. Once Link was done, the two were silent once more, until Link spoke up. "How are the boys?"

Midna shrugged. "Andrew's progressed quite a lot in his magic skills, but he's lonely. And much quieter. He's used to always having a sibling to pass the time with. I think, right now, he's sulking somewhere in the Palace with my mother."

"And Nico? Has he gotten over his most recent illness?"

"He's..." Midna sighed as she trailed off. "I'm worried about him, to be honest. He spends most of his time resting and sleeping, never leaving his bed except for a few spare moments. Otis doesn't know what to think either. Originally we thought it was just a bad cold that's been spreading around, but everyone who's caught it is better by this time, and Nico's not getting any better. I just...Link, what if we lose him?"

"We won't. We didn't lose him before, and we won't lose him now. Have faith that he is strong."

"I will. It's just a bit overwhelming."

"That's understandable." Link paused. "Let me see him. Perhaps his mood will lighten and he will begin feeling better."

"Can you even stand? You've lost a lot of blood."

"Not without your help, my love. Please."

Midna sighed. "Let me get you a shirt first. I don't think you want to scare him with such a wound." Link nodded and Midna helped him into a sitting position. She slipped off the bed and left the room, returning only a few moments later with a fresh tunic, which she helped Link into.

"I feel like a two-year-old," Link commented as his wife straightened the tunic.

"You like being pampered and you know it," Midna replied, watching Link swing his legs over the edge. Then, with an arm of support, she helped him to his feet. "Are you alright?" she questioned with concern.

"Yes. As long as we take it slow."

The pair moved at a slow pace out of the bedroom and down the hall to where Nico's room was. Midna opened the door and both saw Nico sound asleep beneath the blankets on his bed. The only movement the boy made was the gentle rise and fall of the blankets as he breathed. Midna helped Link over to the child's bedside. Link gently placed a hand on his son's forehead, surprised at the feverish state Nico was in. Link exchanged a glance with Midna and sat down next to his youngest son, only to find that Nico was stirring. He opened his crimson eyes and looked up.

"Father?"

"I'm here, Nico," Link replied as the Prince pushed himself up. His face brightened and he hugged Link.

"I missed you, Father," Nico said.

"I missed you, too," Link replied, hugging his son back. "Your mother told me you were sick. How are you feeling?"

"Better now that you're back."

Link grinned. "That's good. But, I'm not here for good." Nico looked up at him sadly and with confusion.

"The war is still going on," Midna explained. "Your father only came for a visit."

"Oh."

"I'm not leaving right away, though," Link continued. "I'll be here for a few days, at least."

Nico grinned, and in the moment that followed, there was the sound of laughter and shouting down the hall. Midna sighed. "I'll go see what that was," she said, heading toward the door.

"Father?" Nico asked a few moments after Midna left. "Will you tell me a story?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>Matt woke to a headache. The pounding in his head only worsened when he opened his eyes in an attempt to find out where he was. He immediately shut his eyes, gasping at the increase of pain caused by looking. He waited for the pounding to lessen, during which he wondered what had happened to him to cause such pain, only to remember the explosion at the bridge.<p>

With effort he opened his eyes once more and took in his surroundings. He was in a dark room, lavishly decorated with strange symbols he knew he had seen before, but couldn't register with his aching head.

"Oh, you're awake."

A servant girl stood at the foot of the bed he was lying in. Slowly and gingerly, he pushed himself up to look at her. "Who are you?" he asked, wishing the fog in his mind cleared.

"Kaelyyn, sir," she replied, and bobbed a curtsy. "I shall tell Her Majesty that you have awoken."

Before Matt could say another word, the girl left the room, shutting the door behind her. Matt looked around, ignoring the persistent headache. His mind was becoming less cloudy and he recognized the color of the designs decorating the room. It was the same aqua green that he had seen on the Twili banner back at the camp. Putting two and two together, he realized that he was in the Twilight Realm and that the servant girl, Kaelyyn, was referring to Queen Midna.

"But how did I get here?" Matt muttered, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. He noticed that he no longer wore the chain mail and red tunic he had on during the battle. Rather, he was wearing a loose gray shirt. He sighed, feeling almost at home here. He closed his eyes, almost expecting his younger sisters to burst through the door. But he knew that wouldn't happen. He was truly far from home here.

There was a knock on the door and Matt opened is eyes to see Nellie looking in. "I heard Kaelyyn say you were awake," she said, coming into the room and shutting the door halfway. "I was so worried about you. At first, after I warped you and Father to the Mirror Chamber, I thought you had been killed."

Matt shook his head and extended his arm. Nellie came forward, sitting next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Mother said you had a concussion. How do you feel?"

"I have a headache, but I'll be fine. But about you...I thought you couldn't warp."

"I couldn't. But apparently I learned involuntarily." She sighed wearily, and Matt noticed for the first time how pale she looked. "I overexerted myself. Mother told me that when someone with little experience warping brings one too many people and travels too far a distance, it can drain much of the caster's strength. If I had gone too far, I would have died."

"But you're fine. We all are, so don't worry."

Nellie smiled at him. "I'll try."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. Then Matt spoke up. "So, do I get that kiss you promised me?"

Nellie's eyes widened and she blushed. But she looked at Matt. He smiled warmly at her. "What makes you think you deserve one?" she teased, though the effort was half-hearted.

Matt drew her closer. "Because I am loved by the most beautiful, skilled, amazing, and loving young woman I have ever known," he murmured, his face just inches from hers. "I don't know what I did to deserve your love, but I count myself incredibly lucky to have it."

Nellie looked at him for a moment, taking in what he had just said. "You're very deep in thought today," she said. Then a teasing sparkle entered her eyes. "You must have hit your head really hard and dislodged your brains."

"I probably did, but I don't regret a word."

And finally their lips met in a quick kiss.

"Did you know," Nellie said in a soft voice, "that I, too, am lucky to have your love?"

"I do now."

They kissed once more, longer this time, but still very light.

"I _knew_ it!" The door to the room slammed open. The noise – and the voice – startled the couple apart. Andrew stood in the doorway, a victorious smirk on his face.

"_Andrew!_" Nellie shouted, her face nearly all red. Matt, too, was embarrassed; he ducked his head in an attempt to both hide from Andrew and to pacify his still aching head.

"I knew you two liked each other." Andrew was laughing loudly, mostly at his sister's reaction.

"Go away!" Nellie shouted.

"What is going on here?" Midna walked up behind her son. She took in the scene, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"Andrew's intruding," Nellie replied, annoyance laced in her voice.

"Nellie and Matt were kissing," Andrew added laughingly.

Nellie glared. "Shut up or I'll tie you to a mad hestur fulga."

"You'll have to catch me first!"

Nellie jumped up from the bed, intending to do just that. Andrew scurried out of sight and Nellie made to go after him, but she was stopped by her mother. "You are in no shape to chase your brother. Nor should you have been out of bed."

Nellie sighed and sent a glare at her brother, who was at the end of the hall. "I just...wanted to make sure Matt was alright." She looked back at the Prince of Hyrule.

"Nellie, I'm fine," Matt said. "I told you that. Go rest."

Nellie nodded and left the room. Midna watched her go before turning to Matt. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Matt thanked her and Midna left the room as well, following Nellie to her room. She found the seventeen-year-old sitting on her bed, engrossed in a book. "I thought you said your relationship wasn't serious," Midna stated.

"You got the letter?" Nellie asked, looking up from her book.

"The other day. I read yours and your father's while watching over Nico. But that's beside the point."

"It wasn't serious when I wrote to you. And besides...that was our first kiss."

"And you've considered everything? You do realize that you are to take the crown after your father and I."

Nellie sighed. "I...maybe I don't want to be queen."

"In either situation you will be."

At a loss for explanation, she brought up another excuse. "Mother, it's not like we're going to be married."

Midna looked at her for a moment. "I know." She sighed. "You should get some sleep and recover you energy."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It wasn't until a week later when Link, Nellie, and Matt were all more or less recovered from the battle. On the second day home, Link had sent Traavis to Matthew to let the Hylian King know where they were and that they were safe. Traavis had returned the day after, reporting Matthew's gladness that they were alive.

It was also a week of recovery for Nico, who had finally turned a corner in his illness and steadily grew stronger and healthier. Midna, Link, and Doctor Otis were able to confirm that the boy's emotions had played a part in the illnesses that he had been getting over the past three months. Midna was, with the help of her mother, going to train him on controlling his emotions. With this, he would hopefully be getting less and less ill, and more able to get out and be a normal child.

As the week came to a close, it was decided that Link, Nellie, and Matt would return to the battle field. The dark Twilight before they were to leave, Midna found Link standing on the balcony outside their room. "You need to rest," she said, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You're still injured."

Link sighed, but allowed his wife to bring him inside. He laid down on the bed, grimacing slightly from his wound. Midna sat down next to him and Link took her hand. "I wish I didn't have to leave. One week does not make up for all the time I've been without you."

"I wish you could stay as well." Her voice wavered ever so slightly.

Link studied her face, and noted the tears in her eyes. He pushed himself up. "_Ekki graata, aastin miin_," he murmured in Soolsetur, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "_Allt verouour ii lagi_."

"If I could stop, Little Wolf, I would," she replied in Hylian. Link smiled sadly and wiped her tears away. She leaned her head on his shoulder. And for a while, they were quiet in each other's arms. Then Link pulled away slightly, pain written in his features. He pressed a hand to his side, and his eyes widened. Pulling his hand away, he saw it was red from his blood. Quickly, and gingerly, he pulled off his shirt, only to swear at the sight of his now blood-soaked bandages. Midna hurried into their private washroom, where she had stockpiled fresh bandages in an event like this. She returned supplied and began to unwrap the soiled bandage. Link flinched, gritting his teeth. "Hold still," Midna muttered.

Link obeyed, pushing away every animal instinct of his wolf half that managed to stick with his human form. He sat as still as he could while Midna wrapped the bandages tightly around him. Still, every now and then, he would flinch. Finally, Midna finished. "Goddesses, Link," she muttered.

"What?"

"I don't want you going into battle with such a wound. You'd get killed right away!"

"I have to get back, though," Link replied reluctantly, "as much as I'd rather stay here and heal." He watched her stand and go into the washroom, the soiled bandages bunched in her hands. She came out a few moments later and fetched a clean shirt for her husband.

"We could get you some red potion," she stated as she helped him into the shirt.

"We could," Link agreed, his voice muffled by the fabric. He pulled the shirt over his head and looked at Midna. "Or I could just abstain from fighting until I can actually wield a sword."

"I know you: you wouldn't stop, no matter what, Hero-boy."

Link sighed. He knew she was right. She had fought by his side too many times to think otherwise. He recalled the time in the City in the Sky where he had been beaten up badly by two flying lizalfos and then continued on to the homicidal dragon that was the boss of the dungeon. The entire way up the large, cylindrical room connected to the boss arena, Midna was shouting at him to rest. But he continued anyway, despite his wounds.

He remembered, after beating the dragon, lying on the grass in the arena, looking at the sky above and attempting to catch his breath, only to have Midna appear out of his shadow and reprimand him for his recklessness in her imp voice.

He grinned slightly at the memory, and laid down. He could sense his wife watching him carefully.

"I won't let you," she said eventually.

"Let me what?" Link replied.

"Go back to camp with that injury."

"Midna, I have to get back."

"Exactly. So, tomorrow when we go to the Light World, we'll stop by Castle Town and get you some red potion. That way, you can get back to camp all content, and I don't have to worry that you'll get killed before you can raise your sword."

Link sighed. "I love how you have so much confidence in me," he said sarcastically. "Can't we just..." He trailed off, glanced at her, and knew there was no arguing. That was one thing he had learned about her from the beginning: once she made up her mind, she wouldn't change it. After returning her stubborn gaze for a minute or so, he gave up, finding himself too tired to argue. He looked away and closed his eyes. "Fine, whatever," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Good. Now go to sleep."

* * *

><p>The next day, they gathered once more by the portal into the Light World. Only Andrew and Nico would stay behind in the care of Midna's mother, Marietta.<p>

Andrew, however, didn't want to stay behind. "Can I come? Please?" he begged.

"No, Andrew. Remember what I told you," Midna said.

"I do. I don't wanna fight. I just wanna see the camp and all that! And then I can come back with you! Please?"

Midna exchanged a glance with Link. It was dangerous, but Midna wasn't planning on staying too long. Link realized this as well and sighed. "You can come," Andrew," he said, returning his gaze to the fourteen-year-old. "But if anything happens you are to find either your mother or I and stay with us unless we tell you otherwise."

Andrew nodded excitedly. And, after the goodbyes were said, Midna warped the group through the portal. They had only a few moments before Midna warped them away once more, and the group found themselves in the grand shadow of Hyrule Castle.

"I thought we were going to the camp," Nellie said.

"We are," Midna replied as she lead the way toward town. She quickly explained their errand, ignoring the pointed sighs Link made. The small group entered the town, and immediately noticed the change in mood. No longer was there laughter in the streets. People – mostly elderly, women, and children – hurried quietly along in their business, keeping their heads down. Only a few soldiers marched through the streets, assigned not to the war front but the protection of the Royal Family that remained in town.

Link glanced around, noting the despondent tone. A wave of sadness filled him. This is what the war had done to Hyrule. Every citizen felt the terror inflicted by the fighting, yet they could do nothing about it. They stood by and waited for news from the front, praying that when it did come in, there was no announcement that their sons, their husbands, their brothers, their fathers, their loved ones, were dead. But the Hero perked up slightly when he saw where they were headed: the shop of an old friend of theirs.

The shop had once been one of a chain of shops called Malo Mart, previously owned by a friend from Link's home village of Ordon. But Malo had shown his real character and had been one of the two masterminds behind the kidnappings during the Time of the Stolen. He had been banished from Hyrule, and his employee, Malver, had gained ownership of the Castle Town Malo Mart, now called Malver Mart.

Midna and Link entered the shop, while Nellie, Matt, and Andrew stayed outside the shop on the simple porch, waiting. Matt settled down on the top step, watching the few people walk by. None of them bothered to look up or even notice that their Prince was there watching them.

"It's so different," he said.

"What is?" Nellie asked, sitting next to him.

"The town. There were always minstrels singing in that corner over there," Matt replied, pointing toward an area near the entrance to the castle. "The cafe and a lot of the shops are closed. And the people...there's no laughter, Nel. This was once a place of joy. Now it's the opposite. And it's sad, so very sad, to see it this way."

He glanced at Nellie before rubbing his face with his hands, attempting to shake off the remains of the concussion he got a week ago. And then he heard it.

"MATT!"

The voice caused heads to raise, and the next thing Matt knew, he was being bombarded with hugs from his sisters, Natasha and Eve.

"I missed you so much!" Eve, the younger of his sisters, exclaimed, hugging him tightly as Natasha agreed enthusiastically. Matt could only hug his sisters back, great joy on his face. He looked up at the sound of more footsteps and saw his mother and a Sheikah bodyguard approaching. His sisters let him go as he stood, and Zelda wrapped her arms around her son, joyful tears shining in her dark blue eyes.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise."

Matt let go of his mother and turned to see Midna and Link coming out of Malver Mart. Link was attempting to slip a half-empty bottle of red potion into the pouch on his belt, but Midna shot him a look before smiling sweetly at her best friend.

"It's nice to see you, too," Zelda replied, smiling. "What brings you here?"

Midna explained in as few sentences as possible what had happened and why they had come, not wanting to cause Zelda extra worry over her son and husband.

After Midna had finished, Zelda smiled slightly. "I want to come with you," she said.

"I thought you'd say that," Midna replied. "We'll wait for you by the south gate." Zelda nodded and, with the help of the Sheikah bodyguard, began to usher Eve and Natasha toward the castle. Midna, Link, Andrew, Nellie, and Matt started back toward the southern gate.

Midna looked at her husband. "If you don't finish that potion right now, so help me goddesses I will personally force it down your throat."

Link sighed, trying to repress a grin at his wife's teasing tone, and pulled out the half-empty bottle of the red potion. He noted the slightly amused looks of the children around them, and grinned. "You, my dear Midna, sound like that irritating imp I met on my first quest," Link commented as he pulled the cork off the bottle. "Except much more nice and more concerned."

Midna mock glared at him. She hated thinking that she had once been a rather powerless imp. She narrowed her eyes. "Just drink your potion," she said.

Link grin widened and he raised he bottled slightly in acknowledgment before downing the contents. He shuddered, making a face, but said nothing as the pain in his side dulled even more as the potion healed the wound. They arrived at the southern gate, and Link leaned back against the railing of the drawbridge. "So, that was nice of Malver," he commented as he stuck the now-empty bottle back into the pouches on his belt.

"What?" Nellie asked.

"He's offered to donate supplies to the armies. Within a week he'll be personally driving out the the battlefield with three carts full of red potion, arrows, food, medical supplies, and more. He's been running a fund and supply raiser for the past month, and has more than enough to give us supplies for a few months."

"Wow, that's a lot," Matt commented.

"It is." Link sighed, and glanced at Midna. She was leaning against the railing next to him, her eyes closed as she basked in the sun. "What's this? A Twili enjoying the sun?"

"Oh, shut up, you," Midna replied teasingly, not bothering to open her eyes. "I'm allowed to do what I want when I'm in the sun, and if that means enjoying it, then I will."

Link laughed. "Oh, what would I do with out you?" he teased lovingly.

"You would still be a wolf, chained to the floor of that cell."

"Indeed."

The two were silent for a while, watching Nellie and Matt talking in low voices at the end of the drawbridge. Andrew was watching the clouds roll by. Link gave a sigh of content, and wrapped his arm around Midna's shoulders. "It's times like these when I think how good life is. I can only pray that it will remain good."

"Goddesses willing," Midna replied.

A few minutes later, Zelda joined them, and they were finally ready to be on their way. Link would be warping them since he knew exactly where the camp was, but immediately he knew he wouldn't be able to take everyone. He glanced at Midna. "Help me out," he said quietly.

Midna nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder, transferring her power to him. He closed his eyes in concentration and warped the group away.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Big things are a-comin'. I hope you're ready, 'cause the next chapter's got a HUUUGE plot twist. Like, the size of Morpheel (the giant eel Link fought in the Lakebed Temple). Huge. Giant. Ginormous (if that's even a word). It'll shake you like seeing Zant curse Midna and Link for the first time. It's to die for. <em>

_I'm gonna shut up now before I give it away. I hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter. You may or may not see as much fluff fo a while in this story for a long while. The next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it up (seeing as I only just finished it). Don't forget to review!_


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

In a swirl of black particles, six figures warped onto the snow by the Hyrule-Holodrum bridge, expecting a camp of Hylians and Twili.

But there was no camp. At least not there. Link looked around and saw where it had been moved, sighing.

"Better start walking," Midna said as she, too, noticed the camp's distance.

Link nodded in agreement, but before he could move, he sensed something...or someone watching him. He reached for his sword, only to remember that he had lost the Master Sword in the explosion. All he had was the Master Sword's empty scabbard. He was defenseless, and he didn't like it.

"Link," Zelda said. Link looked at her, but found she wasn't meeting his gaze. She was looking at something else. He followed her gaze. A few feet away, floating several inches above the ground, was a shimmering figure of a woman. Her skin and hair were a pale blue, and her arms – if she had any – were covered by a long shawl, one side the same color as her skin, the other the same color as the hilt of the Master Sword, as was the short dress she wore. The shawl was held in place by a rather large blue gem. She seemed to be wearing black tight-fitting leggings with overlapping green designs.

And then she spoke. "Master Link."

"Who are you?" Link asked, stepping forward.

"That matters not, Master. Only know that I am the spirit of your sword, come to guide you back to it."

"My sword has a spirit?"

The figure inclined her head. "Come, Master, there is little time." And she floated backward several yards.

Link started forward to follow her but Midna held him back. "Why are you trusting this...spirit. For all we know it could be a trap."

"I don't think it is," Link replied.

"It's not," Zelda added. "She's telling the truth. She'll lead you to the Master Sword, Link."

"Her Grace is correct, Master," the spirit called, bowing her head respectfully in Zelda's direction. "Come, please. Time is very short."

Link glanced at Midna, who still held his arm. She sighed and let him go. Link stepped toward the mysterious spirit, and when he got within a few feet, she flitted out of his way, leading him away from the camp and toward the gulch where, once, the bridge was. The only thing that remained of the connection was debris, both large and small, scattered through the area.

The spirit led Link down into the gulch, stopping at the bottom to wait for him. He slid down and glanced at the spirit. "The least you could do it tell me your name," he said as the spirit moved once more, stopping near a meticulous pile of rocks.

"It would be irrelevant, Master, as you will not be able to speak with me again." She moved further away, this time stopping directly above the pile of rocks. She seemed to sigh as she glanced at Link. Smiling softly, she said, "Fi is the name I was given by the goddess Hylia who created me and the sword, formerly known as the Goddess Sword; that same sword was forged anew given the name Master Sword by my first master, and it now is the sword you wield until the next Hero comes. It is I who accepts or denies the Hero as my master, and only my master may wield the sword."

The spirit paused once more, as if studying Link. After a moment, she began to glow. "I wish you luck, Master Link. And may the goddesses watch over you." With a flash of light, she was gone. Link looked around, not seeing the Master Sword. For a moment, he thought Midna had been right, that it was all a trap.

But then he saw a glowing blue light emerge from the pile of rocks the spirit had been floating over. Link curiously began to move the rocks until he found the source of the glowing. There, the Master Sword lay, unscratched as if newly forged. He picked it up and the blade shimmered, as if it was glad to be back in his grasp. He admired the sword for a minute before quietly whispering, "Thank you, Fi."

The sword shimmered again and was still, passively glowing its normal white light. He sheathed the sword and began to climb out of the gulch.

* * *

><p>As they walked the mile or so to the camp, Link relayed what the spirit Fi had told him, hoping Zelda would be able to give him more information. Zelda thought about his words for a moment, then nodded. "I believe I have heard of this story once. It seems plausible. After all, we do name a lot after this goddess you mentioned: Hylians, Lake Hylia, Great Bridge of Hylia, Hyrule."<p>

Link nodded and glanced back at the three children. They were talking as they walked behind the adults, seemingly oblivious of the discussion going on. He turned back to Zelda. "So if you've heard this story before, you knew my sword has a spirit?" he asked.

"In a way. I knew there was a reason it rejects the touch of all but the chosen Hero, but I wasn't sure what exactly it was until now." She shrugged.

"I just find it interesting that there's a fourth goddess," Midna said. "How come we don't hear of her these days?"

Zelda smiled. "Now, that I know for sure. Legend has it that, long ago, while she was fighting an immense evil, from which we get all other evils, she lost most of her power and took on a mortal form. No one knows who she is these days, but she is around, her spirit passed from generation to generation."

"Makes one wonder who she is," Link said.

"We could ask that sword spirit," Midna commented.

"Yeah, but she won't come out and talk. She told me so. Not sure why."

They were almost to camp by this point. Sentries posted on the edges had seen them by now, and were eagerly awaiting their arrival. But Link began to feel uneasy. His instincts prickled and he looked around as Midna and Zelda continued the conversation. His wolf-heightened senses made him alert to everything at that moment: every smell, every miniscule sound, every crack in the large rock formations around them. And he knew something was wrong.

Then he heard the unmistakeable of a bowstring being pulled back, fingers sliding across the thin cord as they slowly prepared to fire the arrow. He could hear the wind blowing around the string and knew that whoever held the bow was aiming it at Midna, Zelda, and him, but he didn't know which one the bowman was targeting.

"Get down!" he shouted. And he shoved Midna and Zelda to the ground just as the arrow was fired. Instead of striking one of the two queens, the arrow found it's target in Link, and the Hero swore, dropping to his knees.

Zelda retaliated quickly, calling her Light Bow into existence and shooting back. There was a shout and the Holodrum assassin fell from his rocky perch, unmoving as he struck the hard, snowy ground awkwardly.

Midna knelt by her husband's side, worry filling her eyes. Link glanced up a her. "Got me in the arm," he managed to gasp, gripping the arrow.

Midna looked up. "Nellie, you and Matt are to take Andrew straight to camp. Be on your guard and hurry."

"Yes, Mother," Nellie said, and grabbed her shocked brother's arm, pulling him along toward the camp, Matt hurrying behind them. Midna watched them for a moment before returning her attention to Link. Zelda was by his side as well, watching with concern as Link grit his teeth and tightened his grip around the shaft of the arrow with his good arm.

"You're going to pull it out?" Zelda asked, shock in her voice.

"I've done this plenty of times," Link replied painfully. "I just thank the goddesses they didn't get my sword arm." And with those words, he pulled the arrow out, biting back a gasp. The wound began to bleed freely, but Midna was ready with a scrap of fabric from her robe. She quickly tied the makeshift bandage around his arm.

"This will have to do," she said.

"That's fine," Link replied. "Thanks."

"No, thank _you_," Midna shot back gently as she pulled him to his feet and into a hug. "I don't know how you knew that was coming, but you probably saved my life and Zelda's." She let him go, smiling gently. "How did you know?"

"I think I was a wolf in all but body. I could hear him breathe from this far away."

"Another reason to thank Zant for cursing you," Midna teased. Link laughed.

"Come on, you two," Zelda said, hiding the laughter in her voice at her two best friends' teasing. "Let's get going before we're attacked again."

* * *

><p>Link had to admit, he had never seen Matthew as happy as he was during the reunion with his wife and son. Even now, at the end of the day of said reunion, Matthew and Zelda were inseparable. The four monarchs were in the command tent, and Matthew had just finished telling them about what had happened since the bridge was exploded a week ago. They had spent all day talking and catching each other up on the news of the kingdoms they were trying to defend.<p>

Finally, the sun set, and Link and Midna decided to go to bed early. On the way to Link's tent, they stopped by Nellie's, where both the Twilight Princess and Prince were staying to wish them goodnight. Within minutes, the King and Queen of Twilight were asleep. However, Link's sleep was fitful at best. Dreams swarmed his mind, each worse than the last, causing him to surface from sleep every few hours.

His final dream, near dawn, was vicious and startling. It involved bloodied arrows scattered across red-splotched snow and an unshakable feeling of grief as a short scene of a group surrounding a figure prone on the ground played through his mind...

He woke sharply, hoping he didn't startle his sleeping wife next to him again. He opened his eyes and saw a faint golden light coming from his left hand. The Triforce symbol was glowing softly, and Link took it as a sign that something was going to happen. He sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the large cot he and Midna were sharing, running his fingers through his shaggy hair as the glowing of the Triforce symbol dimmed to nothing. After a few moments, he felt Midna's gentle touch on his back. "Another dream?" she asked and he turned his head to look at her.

"Yeah," Link replied.

Midna sat up and wrapped her arms around his middle, resting her chin on his shoulder. Link looked at her with a half-smile. "They're just dreams, Wolfy," the Twilight Queen said in a comforting tone.

"I don't think so. Not when the Triforce glows."

Midna sighed, and started to reply, but a horn sounded across the camp, loud enough to wake the sleeping soldiers. Link knew there was only one reason why this horn would be blowing at this time, and his suspicions were confirmed when a frantic shout filled the air. "Ambush!"

* * *

><p>Matt was lying awake in his tent when he heard the shouts. Springing up from his cot, he quickly threw on his chain mail and tunic, and grabbed his shield and his sword, which his father had returned to him when he got back to camp the day before. He dashed out of the tent and was nearly hit with a stray arrow. He raised his shield and felt another arrow strike the protective barrier.<p>

"Matt!" Nellie ran up beside him, Andrew following close behind. "Have you seen my parents?" she asked.

"No."

Nellie sighed and quickly put up a magic barrier, blocking five arrows headed her way. She growled out a frustrated word in Soolsetur. "Why the heck are they all aiming for me?"

Matt shrugged. "Let's keep moving. It'll be harder to hit us. And we can find your parents." Nellie nodded, and she, Matt, and Andrew hurried through the camp.

It was chaos everywhere. Holodrum soldiers were everywhere, it seemed, trying to tear down the camp. Arrows flew through the air, every now and again. At one point, a raging Holodrum soldier charged at the three royal children, but a flash of light struck him down and he fell, sprawled a few feet in front of them as a lifeless corpse. Zelda hurried up to them, her bow in hand. Nellie posed her question once more, addressing the Hylian Queen.

"Your parents are at the edge of camp," Zelda replied, motioning with her bow toward the west, where the fighting was the heaviest. "Come." The Queen of Hyrule lead them toward the fighting. Nellie pulled Andrew close, not wanting him to get hurt. They hurried through the raining arrows, throwing up shields to block the most potent ones, until they came to the heaviest fighting.

Matt caught sight of Midna, Link, and his father, all fighting as if they were one cohesive unit, striking, blocking, guarding, watching each other's backs. No enemy could land a proper hit with such a force.

Their unity dissolved slightly when Midna saw Matt, Andrew, Nellie, and Zelda. The Twilight Queen hurried over, motioning the nearest _riddari_ to follow her. The Twili knight obeyed, though he looked confused. Confident now that Andrew was safe, Nellie and Matt threw themselves into the fight. After a few moments, Matt heard the sound of warping, and he knew Andrew and the _riddari_ had left for the Twilight Realm.

Minutes passed, and what had first started out as an ambush soon turned into an all-out battle. Half an hour went by, yet there seemed to be no stopping of the enemies, who all wanted to get at the royalty fighting on the edge of camp.

Things went terribly wrong thirty-five minutes into the battle, and it all seemed to happen at once. As Matt knocked down another opponent, he heard Link shout Nellie's name desperately. Matt turned to see what had happened. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Nellie stumbling backward, her sword falling to the blood-stained snow as her hands grasped the arrow protruding from her chest. She collapsed on the ground, her face pale and ashen.

Midna, too, had seen this, and with a cry, she released a powerful shock wave of magic.

And all was silent on the battlefield as the Holodrum soldiers toppled to the ground, killed by Midna's spell. The battle was over, but the horror had just begun.

Matt started toward his girlfriend, but someone held him back. He shouted Nellie's name, trying desperately to free himself. Someone touched the top of his head, the words of a sleeping spell reaching his ears.

The last thing he saw was his mother, crouched over the dying form of Nellie, the Triforce symbol on her hand glowing golden...

* * *

><p><em>AN: Three things.<em>

_1) Shameless Skyward Sword reference. I will probably bring it up again, but if i don't consider it as sort of a filler bit._

_2) I don't really like the ending because it just felt too rushed. Then again, the very last bit is supposed to be rushed. It's a mess of fighting and emotions and all that._

_3) Origionally I was going to let you, my readers, decide whether or not Nellie lives, but the characters ran away with the idea and decided for me. Sorry._

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one should be up rather soon, as I have finished it. It needs reviewing._

_Review?_


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The dawn sunlight shone bright in Andrew's eyes as he and the _riddari_ warped into the Mirror Chamber. The Twilight Prince shut his eyes, but regretted it instantly. Scenes from the battle he had just left flew through his mind, and he suddenly felt sick, especially when he pictured the man shot down by Zelda's light arrow.

"Are you alright, your highness?" the _riddari_ asked.

Andrew opened his eyes. "Sort of..." he replied. He shuddered slightly. Now he knew why his parents did want him to go into battle.

"Come, your highness, we must continue on."

And so the pair warped into the Twilight Realm, where it was also still early. The _riddari_ had been ordered by Midna to take Andrew directly to Marietta's house, where Nico was. Andrew followed dazedly, his thoughts still on the battle. Only when the knight stopped in front of the former Queen's house, did he realize where he was. But he could only watch numbly as the knight knocked on the door. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, turning his gaze upon the Prince. Andrew shook his head in reply.

After a few moments, Marietta answered the door. "What's going on?" she asked, taking in the scene all at once.

The _riddari_ quietly and quickly explained in rapid Soolsetur. Andrew barely caught any of it, watching his grandmother's expression change rapidly from surprise to concern, nodding with understanding as the knight finished. "Thank you," she said.

The knight bowed. "Of course, my lady." And with that, he turned and started back toward the Mirror.

"Come inside, Andrew," Marietta said, ushering her grandson into the house and shutting the door behind them. They went to the roomy kitchen, and Andrew sat down at the table, staring at the grain of the dark wood. "I was just about to make some tea," Marietta said, noting Andrew's mood. "Would you like some? Or something to eat?"

Andrew shook his head, barely glancing up. Marietta sighed, and was quiet as she made the tea, before sitting down across from her grandson. After a few moments, she spoke up. "It's best not to think of it."

"What?" Andrew looked up.

"I said, it's best not to think of it. Battles are not pleasant to think about, and it'll only be worse to do so."

"But I can't help it."

"Yes, you can. Here's a little piece of advice I got from your father: every time you recall the battle, think of a happier memory, such as your return after the Time of the Stolen. If I recall, you were particularly excited, even after a few days, to be home."

Andrew nodded, smiling slightly at the thought, comforted.

"Why don't you go up to bed? You can eat later."

Andrew nodded once more and left. Marietta sighed softly, and stared into her mug of tea, deep in thought, but not for long. Nico soon bounded down the stairs, his hair ruffled from sleep.

"Is Mother home?" he asked after glancing around the kitchen with his crimson eyes.

Marietta laughed. "Good light to you, too, Nico. And no, she is not. There was a battle, and your mother is staying to help."

"Oh."

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Marietta heard another knock on the door. As she opened the door, she saw that the visitor was the messenger that had been ferrying letter between Link and Midna for the past three months. He looked grave. "I have a letter for you, my lady," he said. Marietta accepted the letter and thanked him quietly, unsure of what this meant. The messenger took his leave and Marietta shut the door, frowning at the handwriting on the front of the letter.<p>

"Who's it from?"

Marietta looked up to see Andrew and Nico watching her from the base of the stairs.

"Your mother," she replied as she broke the seal and unfolded the papers hastily. Even without reading the content, she could still tell that something had gone terribly wrong. She quickly scanned the short note, frowning as she did so.

"What's it say?" Andrew asked, coming over to peer at the writing, but Marietta folded the letter quickly with the hope that her grandson hadn't seen what was written.

"Your mother is staying longer than she planned," she replied.

"Why?" Nico asked.

"She has her reasons. She'll be back before you know it."

"But she will come back, right?"

"Of course."

Nico nodded, consoled, before dashing back up the stairs, calling out to his brother. Andrew looked at his grandmother for a moment before following Nico to continue the game they had been playing.

Marietta watched them and sighed, unfolding the letter again. She reread the short note and realized that, half-way through, Link had taken over, his untidy scrawl barely legible.

_Nellie's been injured badly_, the letter said, and here the writing changed from Midna's to Link's. _We fear for her life, and can only pray she will survive, as medical supplies out here is very limited._

Marietta folded up the letter once more, unable to read the writing through the tears forming in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, glancing at the stairs to make sure Nico and Andrew weren't there still. She decided that she would not show it to Andrew and Nico. If either boy read that their sister was mortally wounded...well, Marietta didn't even want to think of their reactions. She sent up a prayer, hoping her granddaughter would live to see the end of the war.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Andrew and Nico continued their board game upstairs in the room they shared, oblivious to the saddened mood from the letter. But Nico was still curious. He looked up at his brother, watching him for a moment. "Did you get to see what the letter said?" he asked, sounding unusually serious for a seven-year-old.<p>

"Sort of." Andrew moved his piece a few paces. "Something about Nellie being hurt. But I didn't get a chance to see the whole thing. Plus Nellie's a great fighter. She wouldn't get hurt real bad, so I'm not too worried." He glanced at his brother. "You shouldn't be worried either, okay?"

Nico nodded quietly as he rolled the dice and made his move. "How long do you think it will be until Mother is home?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"She was gonna teach me something. And I miss her already."

"She'll be back soon enough, like Grandmother said, and this war will be over." He shuddered slightly at the thought of war, his mind drifting back to the battle earlier that morning. He quickly thought of something better and happier and the thoughts began to go away.

"Your turn," Nico prompted, not noticing his brother's discomfort. Andrew picked up the dice and rolled them, still fighting off the horrid images filling his head. He halfheartedly moved his piece, not really paying attention. This time, Nico noticed. "Do you not want to play anymore?" the younger Prince asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, it's not that. I'm just distracted."

"Oh." Nico smiled brightly and picked up the dice.

* * *

><p>The man looked around over Hyrule as he came to the crest of the hill, hauling his makeshift pack higher onto his shoulders. He was home. Well, as home as he could get without being killed. He sighed and dropped his pack onto the rocky ground. Oh, how he missed Hyrule!<p>

When he lived there, he had been a rich man, though young. His business had been successful and spread across Hyrule. Yet, somewhere along the road, it had all gotten to his head. Jealousy, impatience, greed, and so many other vices had filled him, along with a bad influence. And he had lost it all within a few short weeks in an attempt to gain more that what he had.

There was no chance, this man knew, to make up for his faults. He still felt jealous from time to time, though his greed had been tempered by the near-beggar state that he had been in these past seven years since he was banished.

Yet here he was, literally on Hylian soil for the first time in seven years. And he looked over the camp a few miles away. He knew who was in the camp, he knew why they were there. This war had been part of the reason he had left Holodrum. Any Hylian, banished or not, was not welcome there anymore. It was just another country to add to the list of places that didn't want him. He supposed he would travel south and enter Termina or Labrynna, but all he really wanted to do was to go home to Ordon, to hear the goats bleating in the afternoon, to swim in the cool stream that split his hometown in two and that powered the waterwheel attached to his house.

Oh, yes, Malo truly missed his home.

He shook his head. He couldn't go back. But he would go south. Not just yet, however. He had seen the battle earlier that morning, and knew exactly what had happened through his Hawkeye. He had seen the Twilight Princess get shot with an arrow, and the Twilight Queen retaliate with a powerful magic attack. And he had thanked the goddesses that he had not been in range for that attack, for he surely would have followed the many Holodrum soldiers who had been killed by it.

He opened his pack and began to look through it. He moved aside the few contents he had: food, clothes, a beaten up flute he managed to get at a flea market in Holodrum, the Hawkeye, and several other objects. Finally, he came upon his most precious item, a drawstring pouch that had once held his rupees. Several smaller and more precious items were held in here, wrapped carefully in cloths.

As always when opening this pouch, he looked at each item carefully. An emergency fifty rupees glinted at him in the noonday sun; these were just in case he was on the verge of starvation and something he always replenished at the next chance he got.

The next item was a wooden carving of an Ordon goat that his brother, Talo, had given him the last time he was in Ordon. Talo had become an amazing craftsman, carving amazing animals, plants, and even people out of simple blocks of wood.

The third item was the largest. It was a bottle half-filled with red potion. It was in case he was really ill. But he set it aside and ignored the remaining items in the drawstring pouch, closing it and setting it back in his pack.

Although the potion was highly valuable to him, he felt the need to part with it. He would make some sort of amends to those he had harmed seven years ago. He would give the Twilight Princess his only potion, if only to buy her time to heal...that is if she was still alive.

For the truth was, Malo didn't know if Nellie had survived. Even from a distance he could see that the girl had been mortally wounded, much to the horror of those close to her.

Malo sighed. Tonight, he would get close to the camp and drop off the potion. Any other time and he would be found, captured, and possibly killed for coming back to Hyrule. He was determined, though. And that was one thing that had stuck with him in all the years of his life: his determination.

* * *

><p><em>AN: What's this? An update, but you still don't know if I killed off Nellie? And after such a long while?<em>

_Call me mean if you want. I did this on purpose. _:D_ A couple loose ends here. Will Andrew and Nico find out about their sister? What purpose do I have for bringing Malo back yet again? Is Nellie alive?_

_Find out next time, and thanks to those who reviewed! You make my day!_


	10. Chapter 9

_Author's note: So you have to thank **TheLoneWolfe90** for forcing me (ever so nicely) to post this chapter. And now, enjoy, while I go to bed._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

Matt woke slowly, registering nothing but a dull yet painful throbbing in his shoulder. His mind was blurred from the sleep that longed to pull him back under. For a moment, he lay there, between sleeping and waking, trying to figure out why his shoulder ached. He didn't know what had happened to cause it. He only hoped it would not prevent him from spending time with Nellie.

At the thought of her name, Matt's tiredness cleared, though sleep was still nagging insistently and strongly at him. He opened his eyes to find that he was in his own tent. His mind replayed the horrid scene. He sighed, rubbing stray tears from his face before letting his hand rest on his throbbing shoulder, only to find it bandaged tightly. His confusion increased. Since when had he injured his shoulder?

It didn't matter. He needed to get up and find out how Nellie was. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, swinging his legs over the edge of the cot, only to be hit by a wave of dizziness as sleep pulled on him even harder. He covered his face with his hands, waiting for his head to stop spinning.

"You should go back to sleep."

Matt looked up and saw his father entering the tent, his face looking grim, like he had aged during the hours Matt had been sleeping. "I have to see how Nellie is," Matt said, though he didn't try to stand.

"You cannot. Not at this moment."

"But-" Matt attempted to get to his feet, only to have his father stop him.

"You are in no condition to see her at the moment, and she is in no condition to see you."

"Is she alive?"

Matthew nodded. "Aye. But barely."

Matt sighed with relief. If Nellie was alive, then he could relax slightly. He looked up at his father. "How did she get injured?"

"You didn't see it happen?" Matt shook his head and Matthew sighed. "She was fighting off several soldiers who were attacking her all at once. She's a great fighter, but she was unprotected. Apparently she wasn't wearing her chain mail. That's what Midna told me. As Nellie turned to face more opponents, she was caught off guard by a Holodrum archer. Being so unprotected and surprised, she was an easy target." Matthew stopped, but it was obvious he wanted to say more.

"Then what?" Matt asked.

"That's it, basically." Matthew sighed once more. "The arrow was poisoned. It pierced one of her lungs. Your mother, being skilled in the healing arts and graced with her Triforce piece, was able to heal her enough to have her survive, as well as removed the majority of the poison that infected her."

"How is she now?"

"Still unconscious. She has yet to wake." Matthew studied his son. "Go back to sleep. You need to let the sleeping spell wear off."

"Sleeping spell?" Matt asked, surprised.

"Yes. Your mother placed it on you. You were so distressed over Nellie, you hadn't even noticed that you had been shot as well."

So that's how his shoulder was injured, Matt realized. As he thought this, sleep sent a wave of exhaustion over him, unrelenting in its mission to pull him under.

"Go to sleep, Matt," Matthew repeated. "Once the spell wears off, and if Midna and Link are agreeing, you may see Nellie. But not a minute sooner. Understood?"

Matt nodded weakly. Matthew left the tent, and the Crown Prince of Hyrule laid down on his cot, finally letting sleep claim him within moment of him closing his eyes.

* * *

><p>While sleep captured one person, in another tent, it relinquished another.<p>

The Twilight Princess slowly gained consciousness, struggling to stay awake. Every breath was extremely difficult to draw in, causing sharp pains to course through her chest with each intake of air. After a few minutes of fighting for breath and consciousness, she managed to open her eyes, registering the canvas of a tent above her. She blinked a few times to clear her vision before looking around. The tent flaps were slightly parted, letting in the colorful light of the setting sun. The strip of light illuminated two figures on the other side of the tent.

Nellie's parents were there, resting on the ground. Her father was in his wolf form, lying on his side and resting his large, furry head in Midna's lap. The Twilight Queen stroked his soft fur every now and again. Both her eyes and Link's were closed.

Suddenly, Nellie found that she couldn't breathe. Fighting for breath, she instinctively began to cough. But that only worsened the situation. Pain exploded though her chest with each cough, alerting her parents to her situation.

She was stuck now. She couldn't stop coughing, but she feared if she did she wouldn't breathe again. But each cough sent shock waves of pain through her. Before she could make her choice, the pain caused her to lose consciousness.

When she next woke, only her mother was by her side. It was nighttime, but the faint, orange light filtering into the tent told her the sun had only recently just set.

This time, her mother noticed she was awake. "Oh, thank the goddesses," she said. "I've been so worried."

"Where's Father?" Nellie managed to ask, despite the pain this caused.

Midna silenced her with a gesture. "Don't talk. You'll only make it worse." Nellie nodded and her mother continued. "You father is checking out some commotion by southern border of camp. I'm not sure what's going on, but it doesn't sound like another fight. He should be back soon. I got word that Andrew made it safely back to the Twilight Realm, though he was a bit shaken up from the battle. As for Matt, he was injured during the battle as well, but not as badly. Matthew stopped by just before you woke up to see if it would be alright if Matt could come and visit. So he should be coming by soon as well." She smiled. "Did I get all of your questions?"

Nellie nodded. At that moment, Link came into the tent. He grinned. "Glad to see you're awake, Nellie," he said. Then held up a bottle that was half-full of red potion.

"Where did you get that?" Midna asked with surprise, knowing red potion was scarce in the camp.

"That's what the commotion was about. Some mysterious person just came up to the guards and gave them this to give to Nellie. Didn't give his name, where he was from, or anything like that. By the time I got there, he had gone. But to think that he donated this."

"I don't trust it," Nellie muttered, then grimaced from the pain.

"You think it's poisoned?" Midna asked her daughter. Nellie nodded, wanting to explain why, but not daring to do so.

"You can check for it, can't you?" Link asked, holding out the bottle to Midna. The Twilight Queen nodded. She took the bottle and began muttering under her breath, her eyes closed in concentration. For a few moments, they watched her. Then Midna opened her eyes again. "It's not," Midna said, shaking her head. She lifted the bottle so she could look at the contents. "It's pure red potion." She looked at Nellie. "Will you take it, then?"

Nellie nodded slowly. Midna pulled the cork off and gently lifted Nellie's head, helping the injured Princess drink the potion.

Once the bottle was empty, Midna replaced the cork. "It's a pretty good bottle," she said. "Looks like it could survive quite a beating."

"All the more reason to figure out who it belongs to." Link gave a wolfish grin. "I know just how to."

Midna sighed. "Fine. But if you get killed and they hang your furry hide as decoration, don't blame me." She set the bottle on the ground as Link reached into one of his belt pouched, transforming into his wolf form. Midna and Nellie watched him sniff the bottle once, his blue eyes widening. "What is it?" Midna asked. Link didn't reply. Instead, he grabbed the bottled in his mouth and dashed out of the tent.

Keeping to the shadows, he navigated his way through the camp, until he reached the edge. He followed his nose and took off full tilt in the direction he knew the man had gone. After running for fifteen minutes, his ears picked up the sound of footsteps against the rocky ground. Coming up over a hill, Link saw the man. The wolfish Hero slowed his pace, stealthily moving around him and hiding behind a boulder. He transformed back to a Hylian and waited until the right moment. Then he came out from behind the boulder, just as the man was walking by it. "You know you aren't allowed in Hyrule, right, Malo?"

Malo jumped in surprise, looking wildly around until he saw Link, floundering for words. He looked almost scared. "H-how...?"

"How did I find you?" Link finished for him. "You recall I can turn into a wolf, correct? I just followed my nose." The Twilight King crossed his arms. "I still haven't gotten an answer to my question yet."

Malo hesitated. "I...it's hard to be from Hyrule and live in Holodrum these days." The former Ordonian sighed. "You don't need to worry. I'll leave right away."

"No need to just yet." Link walked closer to him. "I have more questions. And," he paused holding out the bottle that he had carried with him this whole way. The light of the full moon glinted off the smooth surface. "I have a word of thanks."

Malo relaxed a little and took back to bottle as Link continued. "It helped, if only a little."

"I hope she recovers," Malo said softly, "And that the last of my red potion helped more than just a little bit."

"Why, though?" Link asked, causing Malo to look at him with a slightly shocked expression. "Why do you care, when once you were part of the cause of her kidnapping?"

"I don't know. I just don't know!" Malo gave a frustrated sigh. "Not everyone can be happy with whoever rules them."

"That's no excuse. I believe that's true, but it's still can't be a valid excuse."

"Then call it whatever you want. I wasn't happy, but I hadn't been happy since I started caring more about politics. And that was long before Dredloc showed up. I never was going to do anything, so blame that Twili."

"Oh, I blame him alright." Link's tone filled with a controlled rage, and Malo thought for an instant that the Hero was mad at him. "I blame him for many things. He had been nothing but an unrepentant terror. It was because of him that my third child was born too early." Link sighed. "But it's in the past, and Nico's alive and well."

"So you didn't lose him?" Malo asked quietly.

Link shook his head. "We almost did." The Hero studied the man before him. "I don't understand you, Malo. You are a completely different person. Not once had you really cared about my family, especially seven years ago. And now you give red potion to my wounded daughter, and are concerned with my youngest son? What's changed you?"

Malo shrugged. "I learned humility, I guess you could say." He met Link's gaze. "Besides, you don't know what you've got until it's gone."

Link nodded, astounded at the wisdom Malo was speaking. "If...if you want it, Malo, I can speak with Matthew and Zelda. Perhaps, with consideration, and a sincere apology, they might let you back into Hyrule."

Malo shook his head. "I doubt they would forgive me. I...said some awful things. No. Perhaps I'll find a home in Labrynna. Thank you, though, for the consideration." After a moment of silence, Malo spoke up once more. "You should go back. Midna's probably wondering where you are."

Link could tell that Malo didn't want to talk anymore. So instead, he nodded. "Good luck, friend, and safe travels."

"And you as well."

Malo watched his friend move away, breaking into a run and transforming into a wolf mid-stride. He sighed, and began his journey south once more.

* * *

><p>Midna felt herself falling asleep, her eyes slowly closing. As soon as she realized this, however, she shook her head, and tried to keep her eyes opened. She wanted to wait for Link to return before she fell asleep, but as the minutes wore on, it was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open.<p>

"You should rest, Midna."

The Twilight Queen looked up, slightly startled at the voice. Zelda stood in the entrance of the tent. She looked weary, like she had just run several miles nonstop. Zelda had literally saved Nellie's life, though at the cost of her own. The healing had taken most of the Hylian Queen's energy. "How are you?" Midna asked, concerned for her friend's health.

"Better." Zelda came over, sitting next to Midna on the ground. "But more, importantly, how is Nellie?" The two Queens looked at the sleeping Princess. Nellie's breathing was ragged, but her face had gained back a bit of color, and Midna thanked the red potion for that.

"Alive," Midna replied. "Thank the goddesses, she is alive." She smiled. "And thanks to you, too, Zelda."

"Of course. She means a lot to all of us, especially Matt."

Midna nodded silently, thinking on when Matt had visited earlier. Nellie had been between sleeping and waking, but had perked up when Matt had come. Love had shown in her weary eyes, and Midna truly was able to see for the first time just how her daughter felt for Matt.

But once the Twilight Princess had fallen asleep, Matt, still recovering from the powerful sleeping spell, had left, but not before fondly looking at Nellie.

"Midna?" Zelda's voice brought Midna out of her thoughts. "You really should sleep. It's past midnight."

"No. I'm fine. I'm waiting for Link."

"Where is he?"

Midna shrugged and relayed to Zelda what had happened with the mysterious red potion.

"Well, thank the goddesses for that person, then, whoever he was," Zelda said once Midna had finished the story

"Indeed. But she needs better care. We have to get her out of here."

"Could you warp her?"

Midna shook her head. "It's too dangerous. I don't want to cause her further injury. And she's too weak stand, let alone make the distance to the nearest Hylian town." Midna sighed, and Zelda observed her friend, noting the sad look in her crimson eyes. For a moment they were silent. Then the tent flaps parted, and a wolf slipped in.

"Oh, there you are," Midna said, a smile lighting up her face as the wolf moved over next to her. "Did you find out who it was?"

The wolf shook, his form changing, revealing the green-clad warrior both women in the tent knew.

"You'll never believe it," Link said.

"Who was it?" Zelda asked, also curious.

"Malo."

"But he's supposed to be banished," Zelda muttered.

"His excuse was that it's hard to live in Holodrum these days." He shrugged and studied Midna's sleepy face. He kissed her, saying, "Go to sleep, love. I'll watch Nellie."

Midna nodded. She kissed Link back and stood, leaving the tent. Link watched her go, then turned his gaze to Nellie.

"You should rest as well," Zelda said, obviously avoiding the topic of Malo. "I can watch her for now."

Link shook his head. "No. I'm fine. Though you are welcome to stay with me."

Zelda nodded. And so the two best friends kept their vigil over the Princess of the Twilight.


	11. Chapter 10

_Author's note: I really need to post my chapters when I'm done with them. I've got another chapter done, which I will post soon. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

For the next few days, it was almost as if the Holodrum armies were exploiting the weakness of the Hylian and Twili armies. They attacked and fled, almost in a guerrilla-tactic fashion. The slowly-growing number of wounded soldiers prevented them from moving anywhere. Supplies was low.

Things were grim, indeed.

Nellie tried to hold her hope though, when she was awake, and in her dreams. She couldn't go out to fight, but someone was always with her.

Matt took his turn half a week after Nellie was wounded. Both were silent during the battle, keeping each other company. Finally, the sounds of fighting ceased. Matt looked at Nellie, and saw she was still awake. "Do you want me to read to you?" he asked softly. Nellie nodded silently, and Matt fetched the leather-bound book he had been reading to her. It was titled _Legends of the Twili_, and was filled with the fairy tales Twili children grew up with. Luckily, the book was in Hylian, so Matt had no trouble reading the tome. Nellie watched him open the book and turn to the marked page. He began to read, his voice soft on the words he spoke.

Half an hour later, he was interrupted. Link burst into the tent, followed more calmly by Midna. "I've figured it out!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Nellie asked, but she immediately regretted it, as it caused pain to fill her chest once more. She hoped her parents didn't notice. They worried about her enough as it was.

Link was literally bouncing as he spoke his idea, and he obviously didn't notice her pain. "Malver! He's coming with supplies, remember?"

Nellie nodded, though she wasn't sure where her father was going with this. Sure, they'd get supplies, but she did get how it would get her out of camp. Then, almost before she could finish the thought, realization hit her.

"He can get you back to Castle Town," Midna explained, echoing her daughter's thoughts.

"When is he coming?" Matt asked.

Link's mood deflated slightly. "Soon," he replied. "I hope. But we've got a lookout for him, so the minute he's in sight, we'll know."

Nellie nodded and held back a cough. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears that came from the pain that still throbbed in her chest.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked her. She shook her head, sleep pulling at her.

"Rest, Nellie," her mother said after a moment. "All will be well..."

* * *

><p>Several days passed, and Holodrum kept exploiting the weaknesses of the army. Link spent one sleepless night with his guards, protecting the camp from any sudden attacks. He sighed and rubbed his hands across his tired face. But it was dawn. Soon, he would be able to go to sleep. Though he was a king, he still felt obligated to stay and keep watch until the shift ended, which was why he hadn't gone to bed yet.<p>

"Your Majesty!" a Twili guard called out. Link turned in his direction and saw he was pointing toward the rising sun in the east. A caravan of three covered wagons was approaching quickly. They were close; the guards hadn't noticed them until this point. "What do you think it is, sir?" the Twili asked, confusion in his voice.

Link grinned. "Supplies," he replied. "I'll be back." And with that, he took off at a sprint through the camp, finally arriving at Nellie's tent, where he knew Midna was at the moment. He entered, slightly breathless, and noticed that Matt was there as well, watching over the sleeping Nellie.

"What's going on?" Midna asked, standing and stretching her arms over her head.

"Malver's here," Link said.

Midna's expression lit up. "We should talk to him." She turned to Matt. "Do you want to wake her?"

Matt nodded and watched the two monarchs leave the tent. He sighed and moved toward his girlfriend. "Wake up, Nel," he said, kissing her forehead. She stirred slightly. "Come on, sleepy, something big has happened." Nellie opened her eyes groggily, looking at him questioningly. "Malver's come," Matt explained. "You're going to leave soon."

She looked sad as she nodded. "I'll miss you," she whispered.

"I will, too," Matt replied. He took her hand and kissed her fingers. Her blue eyes never left his face, as if she could sense the worry he buried inside him. Unasked questions filled his mind. What if she died from her wound? What if Holodrum ambushed the caravan on the way back to castle town? He pushed the thoughts away. No. She would be fine. And when the war ended and he returned to his home, he would be there for her until she was recovered.

They sat like that for a long while, until they heard the sound of a cart approaching. It was time. Quickly, he leaned over her, kissing her. "I love you, Nel," he murmured. "Don't forget it."

She shook her head. She wouldn't.

Matt leaned back just as Link came back in the tent. "Are you ready?" he asked his daughter. Nellie nodded. She pointed toward a corner of her tent, where her satchel of belongings sat, ready for the journey.

"I'll take care of it," Matt said, standing up and picking up the bag. Link knelt down next to Nellie and gently picked her up, one hand under her knees, the other around her back. She grimaced as her wound sent out fresh waves of pain.

"Sorry," Link said. "I'm being as gentle as I can be." He carried her out of the tent, Matt following behind with her satchel.

Waiting just outside was Malver's wagon, ready for her. The shopkeeper was standing by the large horses harnessed to the wagon. His face flashed with concern when he saw Link carrying Nellie toward the wagon. "All set, your Majesty?" Malver asked.

"Just about, Malver" Link replied.

Nellie grit her teeth as her father settled her in the wagon on a pallet provided by Malver. They said their goodbyes and Link wished her a quick recovery. He got out of the wagon, and Matt climbed in to give her her bag. "Be safe," she whispered.

"I'll try," Matt replied. He kissed her again and left.

After several minutes, Midna climbed into the wagon and settled down. Nellie heard the voices of Zelda and Malver at the head of the wagon. With a lurch, they began to move. Nellie glanced at her mother, noting the tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away.

The wagon hit a bump, and, though it was small, Nellie bit back a gasp as it caused pain to flare up through her chest. The pain brought fresh tears to her eyes, but she had to stay strong. She was determined to live to see the end of the war. She would be there for Matt when he came back to her.

"You're in a lot of pain, aren't you?" Midna asked. Nellie nodded and her mother sighed, sorrow in plain sight on her face. She moved toward the front of the wagon and slipped through the curtain that separated the bed of the wagon with the driver's seat where Malver and Zelda were riding.

Within a few minutes, Midna returned, Zelda by her side. The Hylian Queen knelt next to Nellie. "Do you want me to place a sleeping spell on you so you don't feel any pain during the trip?" Zelda asked. Nellie nodded and closed her eyes as she felt the Queen's gentle touch on her forehead. In moments, she felt sleep nagging at her strongly, and she gave herself up to it.

She woke a few times during the trip, all in the shadow of lingering pain, assuming that whatever had woken her had been a particularly bad jolt that caused her wound to worsen. But she always went right back to sleep. She could tell, however, when the spell was wearing off as she stayed awake for longer stretches of time. The last time she was awake, the wagon had stopped moving, and she could hear her mother and Zelda talking.

"I'll go, then," her mother was saying. "Otis should be able to help."

"Yes. Go. I'll watch Nellie."

Someone picked her up, but she fell asleep once more before she could think further on this.

* * *

><p>Matthew let out a shaking breath as he watched the wagon that carried his wife, his friend, and his son's lover toward the east. He fought back the headache that was caused from the lack of sleep and decided that now, while it was calm, he could take a nap. At least to catch up on some of his lost sleep.<p>

"Your Majesty!" The voice of one of his most trusted knights filled the air. He turned in the direction of the voice and saw Sir Colin and another knight escorting an all too familiar person forward.

Malo.

He had heard the traitor was in Hyrule, but the king wasn't going to do anything about it unless he saw the the man himself. A glance at Link proved that the Hero was just as surprised to see Malo here.

The Hero was the first to speak. "I was under the impression that you were going to leave Hyrule, Malo."

"I was," the former Ordonian replied.

Matthew noted that the man no longer had a sneering tone to his voice. Still, perhaps he wanted to get out of trouble. The King was unwilling to deal with him at the moment, his craving for sleep getting the better of him. "Give me one good reason why I should let you live."

Malo's face paled. "I do have a good reason. I was walking south toward Labrynna when I saw what Holodrum has up its sleeve. They've got a massive army marching this way. They'll be here within the hour. If you don't move this camp before then, you'll all be killed." Matthew raised his eyebrows skeptically. "You gotta believe me!" Malo protested, slightly exasperated. "You all are about to be killed! I swear to the three goddesses this is true!"

No one spoke for a moment, deciding whether or not to trust the traitor.

"I believe him," Matt said. "I mean, we've been sitting here as open targets. We're extremely vulnerable as it is. Malo could indeed be telling the truth."

Matthew sighed. So much for his much-needed nap. "Colin, you are to watch him. If he so much as puts a toe out of line, do whatever is necessary. Kevin," he turned to the other knight, "spread the word to pack up as fast as possible and begin moving north east as soon as they're ready. Form the squadrons as they march. Ask the Twili for help with packing up the supplies. As for the wounded, get volunteers to carry them." The knight nodded and dashed off, spreading the news. And within half an hour, the camp was on the move yet again.

Malo walked quietly next to Colin, on his best behavior so Matthew wouldn't find an excuse to kill him. "So..." he began. "How are things back home?"

"Couldn't tell you," Colin replied. "I haven't been home in a couple years, what with this war. But last time I was there, everything was pretty good. Your parents were never the same once they found you were banished. They've moved on, they just aren't as...happy as they were before...you know."

Malo nodded. "And my brother? Is he here among the soldiers?"

Colin shook his head. "He got out of the draft called my King Matthew. He's part of the guard at Castle Town."

"How'd he get out of it?"

"Luda was expecting a child. He didn't want to leave her to that by herself, even though Renado would have taken good care of her. But he is still serving Hyrule, just in a different way."

Malo nodded, thinking on the kind shaman, Renado, that had kept them safe in Kakariko during the Twilight War, and his daughter, Luda, who had been smitten with Talo since day one. "Well? Tell me more about what's been going on," Malo teased. "I've been gone for seven years, after all."

Colin grinned. "Link's right, you _have_ changed. But anyway..." Colin began telling Malo of all the changes that had happened. He talked of his wife, Beth, and his two sons. He talked of the many children that now filled Ordon Village, and how his sister, Ruth, had her first child just before they left for war. As he mentioned his sister's name, his face filled with sadness and his sentence dwindled off.

"What?" Malo asked.

Colin took a deep breath. "I've been trying not to think about it. Ruth's husband, Ross, died from his wounds last week. She's going to be heart-broken when I tell her."

"Did I ever meet him?"

"I don't think so. Perhaps. He did live in Castle Town his whole life before marrying Ruth. Maybe he came to your store when you were there." He sighed sadly. "So, tell me, what have you been up to these past seven years?"

"Learning humility," Malo replied. When Colin smiled, he added, "Well, it's true."

"I have no doubt of that, Malo. I'm just proud of you. Besides, you must have done something other than learn humility."

"I have, actually." And Malo began recounting his story.

Though the two were never good friends before, they found a friendship kindling just by the conversation that took place.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: I wonder where I'm going with this bit with Malo...<em>


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The familiar sight of the Twilight Realm greeted Midna as she warped into it. For a moment, she allowed the comfort of her home to calm her. A stiff, warm breeze rushed past her, and she glanced up at the sky, taking note of the thick and darker than usual clouds. It looked like it was going to rain, a rare occurrence here in the capital of her tribe. She sighed and hurried in the direction of the Palace of Twilight, but not before glancing toward the village and deciding that she would stop by and check on her sons.

As she entered her home, a member of the council came up to her, bowing. "Your Majesty, I am glad to see you've returned," he said.

"Thank you, Alun. Unfortunately I cannot stay long. My daughter has been wounded, and I need to speak with Doctor Otis as soon as possible."

"Of course your Majesty, I shall send for him." The Twili nodded in the direction of a maid, and she scurried from the hall to fetch Otis. "Also, madam, the representative from the Aettkviisl Aouoskilin arrived a week ago, with the request that a new contract between our tribes be formed."

"Do they not know we are in the middle of war?" Midna asked.

"The representative was informed of this, and he was going to bring the news back to his king, with the assurances that they will most likely wait until things settle down once more."

"Good. I'm glad that our tribe is in the hands of such capable stewards. Any other news?"

Alun shook his head as a door opened. Midna turned at the sound and saw Otis approaching. "What can I do for you, your Majesty?" the palace doctor asked, bowing as Alun took his leave. Midna explained what had happened, requesting that the doctor return to the Light World with her so he could help Nellie. "Of course, your Majesty," Otis said. "My apprentice should be able to cover things for me while I am gone. If you will allow me a few moments to get ready."

Midna nodded. "I am not leaving right away, so I shall meet you by the Mirror in half an hour."

"Certainly, your Majesty." The doctor bowed and hurried from the room. Midna left the palace, heading for the village and her mother's home. The sky looked as ominous as before, and Midna hoped that the rain would hold off for just a little longer. She arrived at her Marietta's house, only to see her two sons playing a game of tag with several other children. Marietta and a few Twili women were watching them and talking.

After greeting Andrew and Nico and sending them back to their game, Midna walked over to her mother. "How's Nellie?" Marietta asked with concern as she hugged her daughter.

"Surviving. I'm still really worried about her. She's not healing as fast as she could be." She sighed. "I'm leaving soon to get back to her."

"You talk all the time you need with her. I'm perfectly fine with watching over Andrew and Nico until you return. Don't worry about them."

"Thank you, Mother. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, for one thing, you wouldn't even exist," Marietta said teasingly, a smile on her face.

Midna grinned. "That's not what I meant."

"I know that, dear. I was just joking."

"Oh, ha ha, Mother, very funny." Midna rolled her eyes and glanced skyward again. The clouds were getting heavier, and it was almost as dark as dark Twilight. "Have you told them about Nellie?"

"No. I figured they didn't need the worry."

Midna nodded and watched the children racing about the street as they chased each other. She sighed. "It's going to rain soon, if not storm."

"Yes," Marietta said with a nod. "And you'd better tell them you're leaving again." She watched Andrew get tagged by a Twili girl a year younger than him. He laughed and gave chase after his scattering friends, some of which were called over by their mothers, who were worried about the upcoming storm. The children reluctantly obeyed, upset that their game was cut short. The two princes glanced toward their mother. Midna beckoned them over.

"Do we have to come in, too?" Nico asked as the rest of the children dispersed with the ominous rumble of thunder.

"It depends on your grandmother," Midna replied, kneeling down to her sons' levels. "I can't stay. I have to go back to the Light World."

"But I thought you were staying!" Andrew protested.

"I'm needed there, otherwise I would stay right here with you."

"I don't want you to go," Nico mumbled as he hugged Midna. "Please don't go."

"Or you could take us with you," Andrew suggested.

Midna wanted to. She really did want to. But then they would find out that their sister was gravely wounded. She, like Marietta, could not allow them to find out. She gently pulled herself from Nico's embrace. "I need you both to stay here. There's a war going on, and I can't risk you getting hurt. Please, you must understand me."

Nico nodded, tears shining in his crimson eyes. Midna pulled both him and Andrew into a hug. "I love you both very much. And I'll be back before you know it. Alright?"

"Yes, Mother," Andrew replied.

Midna let her sons go and stood. She hugged her mother goodbye and started off down the street toward the Mirror. She paused to look back one last time and saw Marietta ushering her grandsons into the house. Drops of cold rain began to fall from the sky. Midna looked up as she drew her hood over her head. A flash of _eldingar_ – lightning – darkened the world around her for a split second. It wasn't light, like in the Light World. Instead it was a flash of darkness splitting the already dark sky.

She sighed and warped to the Mirror, hoping she wouldn't get even wetter in the process. As she arrived, she saw Otis by the portal, his own hood pulled up over his head. Midna walked over to him. "Ready?" she asked.

"Yes, your Majesty," the doctor replied. With a touch to her powers, Midna warped herself and the doctor through the portal and into the Light World.

* * *

><p>Link paused at the entry to the command tent, gazing toward the east where he saw Matt standing alone, facing away from the Twilight King. Something about the teen prince's posture just seemed off to Link. With a sigh, the Hero moved toward Matt. "Are you alright?" he asked, knowing that the Prince had been rather subdued since Nellie left the previous day.<p>

Matt glanced at him and shrugged, retuning his gaze to the east. "I've been better," he replied. "But, yes, I am fine." He sighed, fingering the grip of the sword that hung at his hip. "I guess I just miss Nellie."

"I miss her as well. I can only hope she is still alive."

Matt nodded, not meeting Link's gaze. After a moment, Link spoke up again. "When were you two planning on letting us know you were courting?"

"When we got back from the Twilight Realm. But, you know, things got a bit out of control, and we never got around to it. We figured you would just find out eventually."

"And we did." Link shivered slightly in the chilly breeze breeze. "Come on out of the cold, Matt. You don't want to get sick."

Matt nodded and followed Link to the command tent. There, Matthew was speaking with Colin and Malo, the latter shifting nervously on his feet.

"You're warning was indeed true, Malo. It was confirmed by a scout of ours just a few hours ago," Matthew was saying as Link and Matt took a seat at the table. "But one good deed does not outweigh an act of treason."

"Please, just let me leave. I swear I'll never come back to Hyrule." Malo's voice held a begging tone. "Or if you're going to kill me, please, just get it over with..."

"Who said anything about killing?" Matthew asked. Link studied his fellow king, noting the barely hidden tone of amusement. Obviously Matthew had thought about what he was going to do with the former Ordonian. "Instead, I have a proposition for you, Malo, if you will hear it."

Malo nodded, looking rather fearful. "I'm all ears," he replied.

"As you may know, Hyrule has been at war for almost two years. Our forces have been depleted, even with the aid of the Twili, we have gotten no further in winning this war and saving Hyrule and, subsequently, the Twilight Realm. So here is my request: you fight for us as a soldier, your actions remaining good, and when we return to Hyrule, Zelda and I may reconsider your sentence form seven years ago." Malo expression became hopeful at these words. Matthew continued, "Should we reconsider, you will no longer be banished, though you will still be under surveillance until we can confirm you will not betray your kingdom. Does that sound good?"

Malo nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Sir Colin, if you will, continue to guard your friend here. Teach him any skills he needs to fight. My previous orders are still in affect, however. And, on your way out, send for Terrence."

"Yes, your Majesty," Colin said with a bow. He and Malo left the tent.

"In a merciful mood today, huh?" Link asked.

"Yes. After seeing the report Terrence had of the enemy Malo warned us of, we'll need every man we can get."

"That bad?"

"Yes. That's why I asked for him. He can help explain the sight."

The scout arrived within a few minutes, and he began to explain what he saw. "An hour after leaving the camp site, the enemy arrived. I counted at least fifteen-hundred."

"Fifteen-hundred?" Link asked despairingly. The total army the Twili and the Hylians had totaled only nine-hundred. True, it was a lot, but somehow Holodrum had gathered more.

"Indeed, your Majesty," Terrence replied. "We may have held our own, but I doubt we would have survived. And they know it. They're chasing us down. Eventually, we'll have to face them."

They were quiet for several moments. "If I called a draft of the Twili in my tribe, we'd have a couple hundred more troops, but not enough to have a fair fight. We could petition for the other tribes to help out, but again, we might not get enough to help us enough."

* * *

><p>Zelda was immersed in books in the Royal Library, and had been since Midna returned from the Twilight Realm with Otis. She had earlier looked up the story of the Master Sword's forging, called the Legend of the Skyward Sword. Her curiosity was not on the story, but rather on a bit of it. The part with the reincarnated goddess Hylia. She wanted to know who it was.<p>

Genealogies and family trees scattered across the large table she sat at in a corner of the great library, lit by the light of the setting sun. She had found the first reincarnation's name, and followed her descendents until she reached a name that sounded all too familiar: Link, Hero of Time.

"Hey."

Zelda looked up and saw Midna.

"What did Otis say?" Zelda asked.

Midna sat down on a chair next to the Queen of Hyrule. "As far as he knows, Nellie will live. The wound is still rather fresh, and it's healing slowly due to the remainder of the poison from the arrow. It will heal, eventually. He also found a buildup of blood in her lung from when she was first wounded, which was causing her to cough. He took care of that, though."

"So it's pretty much good news," Zelda said.

Midna smiled. "Yes, thank the goddesses. She's asleep now, and Otis is watching her. He basically ordered me to go to bed, but I can't sleep, so I thought I'd read to calm my mind."

"Well you're in the right place, that's for sure," Zelda replied.

"Speaking of, what's with all this?" The Twilight Queen gestured to the books on the table.

Zelda quickly explained her research. "I've found a lot, actually, but not answering my question of who is the goddess reincarnate now."

"What have you found?"

"The first sacred maiden, as they're called, was a girl called Zelda. She married a man named Link and together they founded Hyrule Kingdom."

"So they were the first," Midna said.

"Yes. Basically. There's a long list of their descendents, but the first name I recognized was another Link."

"Really? My Link?"

"No. The Hero of Time. My ancestor; he married the Princess Zelda at that time."

"So you're descended from the first sacred maiden. Does that mean you're the goddess incarnate?"

"Not exactly. I could be. She is every three generations and follows the eldest daughter's line, so I'll need to do some calculations."

Midna hid a yawn behind her hand. "As interesting as this is, I think I'll go to bed."

"I hope I didn't bore you."

"Oh, no. It's truly fascinating. But I'm just too tired. Let me know what you find though."

"I will. And if your still looking for a book, that shelf there has some you might like." Zelda pointed to her right with the end of her quill.

Midna thanked her and stood to peruse the shelf. She selected a book and bid Zelda good night before leaving the library.

Zelda turned her attention back to the long family tree she had compiled that went from the first sacred maiden to Zelda's own daughters Natasha and Eve. She began to mark the different women who, according the the key she had found, were reincarnate of the goddess Hylia. When she reached the Hero of Time's generation, she found that his wife, the Princess of Destiny, had been a reincarnation. She continued on to the end of the list and stopped, her eyes wide.

It couldn't be. She couldn't-

"Your Majesty?"

Zelda looked up and saw the Sheikah in charge of protecting the Royal Family. "Yes, Impa?"

"It is nearly midnight. Do you plan on retiring to bed soon?"

"Is it really that late?"

"Yes."

Zelda stood and stretched her stiff limbs. "Thank you for letting me know. I shall head off to bed very soon." Impa nodded and left silently. Zelda watched her go before looking down at her work. Tomorrow, she would come back and double check, no, triple check her calculations. She could be wrong in her conclusion after all.

Leaving her studies on the table with the intent of returning the next day to continue. She started out of the library, navigating her way through the dark halls she had known her entire life. As she entered her personal rooms, she sighed. It was so empty without Matthew, now more than ever.

She quickly readied herself for sleep and slipped into bed. With another sigh, she closed her eyes and drifted off to a sleep full of dreams.

_Her mind swirled with thoughts of the Legend of the Skyward Sword, dreaming of large birds flying over a floating chunk of land above a thick layer of clouds. She was seeing through the eyes of one of these great birds. A stiff wind ruffled through her feathers as she carved a turn away from the floating island and dove into the clouds. For a moment, she saw nothing but puffy whiteness._

_Then land melted out of the mists. A large camp was set up below her, and she flew in for a closer look. Banners of Hyrule Kingdom and the Twili fluttered in a sharp breeze, but the camp was empty. Worry filled her. What had happened to all the soldiers? She flew on, leaving the abandoned camp behind her._

_She saw where the army had gone. They were facing off with the Holodrum army, charging and yelling a ferocious battle cry. She could see her husband and son leading the charge, side by side with Link, Sir Colin, and, surprisingly, Malo._

_Metal clashed on metal and Zelda lost sight of them. She was turning in another direction, away from the battle, and couldn't turn back no matter how hard she tried. She sped through the air toward the fiery mountain just north of Kakariko Village. She dove once more and suddenly she found herself in a cavern in Death Mountain. The Gorons were cheering as two of their bretheren took a stance in the Sumo ring, ready to wrestle. They roared a battle cry that sounded similar to the cry of the Hylian and Twili armies._

Zelda woke suddenly, looking around the room with the battle cry of her dream still echoing in her ears. The sun was shining into her room, and she figured it was mid-morning. She felt determined. She knew she had had the same dream before, if not a similar one, back when she was in the camp and during the travel back to the castle. Only dreams like that were prophetic.

She got out of bed and quickly dressed, mulling over her idea. The Gorons were worth at least twenty Hylian Knights in both strength and stamina. If she went to the Goron patriarch, Darbus, would he send aid to the troops on the border? Gorons and Hylians were on good terms already, so perhaps the burly rock people would help them.

She paused, looking down at her dress. If she was going today to the Gorons, she would need better attire. She changed quickly into a finely detailed shirt and a pair of pants fitting for the Queen of Hyrule, finishing off by putting her hair into a bun and placing a rather simple tiara on her head. She pulled on her riding boots and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She was ready.

The Queen left her room, and hurried down the hall to the room where the Twilight Princess was staying and found Midna by her sleeping daughter's bedside. The Twilight Queen looked up. "What's up?" she asked curiously, studying her choice in outfit.

"I need your help," Zelda replied.

"With what?"

"I want to ask the Gorons to help the armies out west. I fear there is little time before something horrible happens."

"You want me to warp you?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"It's not. It's just..." Midna trailed off, glancing at Nellie, and Zelda understood her concern for the injured Princess. "Otis stayed up all night watching her, and it wouldn't be fair to him to ask him to stay any longer while I go with you."

"I could ask for our doctor to watch her while we're gone."

Midna thought for a moment, a hand on her mouth, before nodding. Zelda couldn't help but recall another time she had done this, back at the beginning of the Twilight War. The Hylian Queen smiled. "I'll send for him, and when he comes, we can go."

Midna nodded again and Zelda left the room.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Oh...hi. It's been a while, hasn't it? Reason(s) for my absence: finals. And before finals, I just wasn't focused on anything, even my stories! And there wasn't any writer's block at all. But I've gotten back into writing, and I'm hoping to remember to post more often. As of now, I've written chapters twelve, thirteen, and fourteen, and half of chapter fifteen. So I'll (hopefully) be posting them soon!<em>

_Oh, hey, look! Shameless Skyward Sword references! Hope you don't mind...I'm kinda maybe sorta a little bit too much obsessed with that game. Hope you enjoyed and why don't you tell me what you think. I may post faster~! (shameless bribe :D)_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Matthew swore violently under his breath. He, Link, the Hylian scout Terrence, two generals of the Hyilan and Twili troops stood at the south-western edge of camp. Terrence had come to the two kings with an urgent message. Holodrum was following them still. And they were close. Very close.

"I thought they didn't know where we went," Link said, looking at the distant camp of their enemy. By the looks of it, Holodrum was making camp half a day's walk away.

"I thought so, too, your Majesty," Terrence replied. "We're as good as doomed."

"We're still going to fight," Matthew said. "I, for one, won't give up until they turn tail and give up, or I die."

"Zelda wouldn't like to hear that," Link said. "But I agree. I'll go down fighting if I have to."

"Should we ready the troops, your Majesty?" Link's Twili general asked, his accented voice filled with the determination his King had.

"Yes." Link studied the Holodrum camp. Dread filled him. This could truly be the final battle. The end of the war was in sight. But that's not what caused the dread.

This battle could also be his end.

* * *

><p>Colin and Malo's division leader walked off through the camp after spreading the news to be ready for a huge battle. Colin sighed. "I have to tell my squad," Colin said, tossing aside the practice sword he had been using to help Malo train for battle. "Come on."<p>

Malo abandoned his practice sword as well, and followed his friend through the camp. "Do you feel ready?" the knight asked.

"No," Malo replied. "Not with the sword."

"You're better with bow and arrow, anyway," Colin admitted. "Actually, there's someone in my squad who also prefers the bow to the blade. He may have a spare of his special bows to give to you."

The Ordonians came upon the squadron. A few were sparing, and one was shooting at a target. Colin called them to attention, and once they were ready, he began to speak. "We're going to be going into a battle soon. We've had orders to be prepared for it, and we have twelve hours before we're in danger of being attacked. Sharpen your swords, load up on arrows, and make sure your armor is ready."

"Yes, sir," the soldiers replied.

"Also, Arthur, I want to talk with you. The rest, dismissed."

All the soldiers but one disbanded to prepare. The remaining one, Arthur, walked over to Colin and Malo. "What can I do for you, sir?" he asked, rubbing his hand along the dark wood of his bow.

"Malo here is similar to you: he prefers to fight with a bow. Do you think you could show him some of your moves?"

Arthur nodded. "Of course." He grinned at Malo. "I've got several techniques of fighting with a bow, but specifically, this one." He showed off his bow. "The center is filled with steel, providing extra strength, which is useful when you're bashing people with it. The end's have been capped with sharpened steel, so that, when striking an enemy, more damage is caused, and is protected by more steel here on the front so that the wood isn't damaged. It also fires like your average bow." He took a few steps back. "You use it like a double bladed sword." He swung the bow expertly at imaginary foes. Once done, he glanced at Malo. "Think you can handle it? I've got a spare in my tent."

"I could try to," Malo replied.

Arthur nodded. "I'll run and grab the other bow then. You may need to practice with it."

Malo shrugged. "Whatever it takes. I'll do it."

* * *

><p>Midna's feet touched the dusty ground of Death Mountain as she and Zelda warped. The Twilight Queen looked around, remembering the first time she and Link had been up this mountain.<p>

"Oh, visitors!" A burly Goron walked up to them. "What brings you here to our mountain?"

"We wish to speak with your patriarch," Zelda stated.

The Goron nodded. "Come." He led them into a passages and through a few winding tunnels before coming out into the room. Gorons were cheering, gathered around the Sumo ring. Darbus himselt stood at the back, cheering the loudest. Two Gorons, an elder and a younger Goron were wrestling. Within a few seconds, the elder pushed his opponent out of the ring, cheerfully accepting the praise his fellow Gorons gave him before helping the defeated back to his feet.

"Brothers!" Midna and Zelda's guide called out over the noise. "Brothers, we have visitors!"

The crowd quieted down, and Darbus and the victorious elder, who Midna recognized as Gor Coron, came forward.

"Ah, Sister Zelda!" Darbus exclaimed, seeing Zelda. "You and your friend are most welcome! How may we help?"

Zelda took a deep breath. "We have come to ask for your aid in battle, Darbus. As you know, my people and the people of Midna here are fighting against our neighbor, Holodrum. They need help in the upcoming battle, which could be any moment. I am asking you, brave and strong Gorons, to aid them in their fight so that Hyrule can once again be at peace."

Coron and Darbus exchanged a glance. Darbus gave a loud laugh. "Dear sister, all you have to do is ask!" he replied. "Tell us where your army is, and we shall join them."

Zelda quickly relayed the coordinates, and Darbus gave a nod. "We shall roll out now. By tomorrow afternoon, we'll have joined them. Fear not!"

* * *

><p>Nico sat at the window, staring out at the rain that had been coming down since the dark Twilight before. He would have gone out to play in the puddles like he had seen other Twili children doing, but his grandmother hadn't wanted him to get sick. And he didn't want to get sick either.<p>

So he stayed inside. He was bored, however. Andrew was deep in a book he had found on the shelves in the house, and Marietta was busy elsewhere. The youngest Prince sighed. He didn't want to read, though he loved to do so on any other occasion. He wanted to run outside and play. He hadn't felt so...well, good in such a long time, so free of any illness.

Nico moved away from the window and up the stairs toward the room he shared with his brother. More than anything, however, he wanted to leave and find his parents and sister. He missed them so much.

When he reached his room, he flopped down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Andrew came in.

"You done reading?" Nico asked.

"Done with the book, actually," Andrew replied. "And it was good."

"But you started reading it yesterday!"

"I'm a fast reader."

Nico glanced at his brother. "And it's a big book."

"It's not that big. I've seen huge books way bigger than this in Father's study." Andrew grinned. "Though he told me he hasn't read a single page of them. He says they're not interesting."

"Then why does he have them?"

Andrew shrugged and laid back on his bed. Nico sighed. "Wanna play a game?"

"Nah, not right now. Maybe later."

Nico sighed again. Both boys were quiet for several minutes. Nico glanced at his brother. "Could you read the book for me?" he asked.

Andrew looked at Nico. "You want to hear it?" Nico nodded, and Andrew opened the book to the first page. After a few moments, he began. The two princes were absorbed in the book until their bedroom door opened. Andrew stopped reading, and both boys looked up to see their grandmother standing in the doorway.

"There you are," she said. "Terry and her sister and some of your other friends want to know if you two would like to play outside."

"It stopped raining?" Nico asked, sitting up.

"Yes. A couple minutes ago."

Nico jumped up from the bed and raced out of the room. Andrew carefully marked his page in the book and followed his brother and grandmother out of the room.

"Try not to get too wet in the puddles," Marietta called after the two Princes as they hurried outside to join their friends. She smiled a bit, watching a game of tag pick up right where it left off before the storm with a cry of "Andrew's it!"

Andrew laughed and chased after his friends.

* * *

><p>Dawn perked over the horizon, and Matt sighed. He hadn't been able to sleep for very long, the tense feeling in the camp and the knowledge that many would not see the next day. He shuddered. He felt sick with anxiety, worry, and fear.<p>

Running a hand through his hair, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He tightened his grip on his sword, as if that was the only way he could stop his hand from shaking. He looked up at the sky, where the velvety dark blue still remained untouched by the rays of sunlight. The stars shone brightly, casting a bright cover over the dark sky.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Matt turned. His father was approaching him, looking like he also hadn't slept. He stopped next to his son and looked up at the stars. Matt looked up as well. "Yeah," he replied. "They are beautiful."

"We are graced with beauty this morning before the carnage of war. I guess the goddesses are in an ironic mood today."

"Perhaps we will win."

"The chances are slim. Very slim indeed."

Matt held his breath. Slim. It was a slim chance he would survive the battle, that he would ever see his mother, his sisters, and Nellie ever again. These stars could be the last he would see of them. "And...and if we lose?"

Matthew sighed. "Hyrule as we know it will be destroyed. Astor's intentions are clear in the war. He wants to take it for his own. Our history, our way of life, our very culture will be demolished or changed beyond recognition if he succeeds. And who's to say that he won't stop there? He could go into the Twilight Realm, to other countries until he has the whole world under his control."

Matt looked up at his father. "So we have to win."

Matthew nodded somberly, looking back up at the stars. Matt studied his face, trying to figure out his father's thoughts.

"Your Majesty!"

A Hyilan guard ran up to them. "Your Majesty. Movement has been spotted in the enemy camp. They're on the move. We have six hours – until noon – before they reach us. What are your orders?"

"Rouse the men in two hours and have them ready for battle. We will march to meet them half an hour before noon, but I want an alert if the enemy is doing anything other than marching toward us and reaching us around noon. Inform King Link of my decision, as well. Understood?"

"Yes, your Majesty." The guard raced away.

* * *

><p>The sun crept higher in the sky. And, half an hour before noon, the army went out to meet their enemy. They finally met, both armies coming to a standstill. Link could see two horses at the head of the Holodrum army: the general and Astor. He glanced around his own army. The brave Twili and Hylians stood in their ranks, ready to fight to the death. At the head, Matthew, Matt, the Hylian and Twili generals, Colin, Malo, and Link himself stood at the ready, along with all the archers the army could muster. Only Malo looked terribly frightened, though why he was on the front lines, Link wasn't sure.<p>

Then the Hero heard Astor's voice. "Surrender!" he shouted. "You have no chance. We outnumber you greatly! So surrender and perhaps we may spare you!"

Link grit his teeth. "Come make us!" he shouted back.

"If you're so confident," Matthew continued, "then why do you sit there like cowards? We know the meaning of courage, power, and wisdom! And we shall triumph!"

The Hylians and Twili cheered loudly, their voices mixing into one. The Holodrum army charged forward, sword raised, Astor and his general leading the fight on their horses.

"Archers, fire!" the Hylian general ordered. Link glanced again at the front lines. Malo had let loose an arrow with the rest of the archers, and Link understood why he was on the front lines. The downpour of deadly missiles hit the enemy, and many dropped, tripping up their comrades. Astor's horse was sent tumbling.

"Fire at will!"

Hundreds of arrows laced the air, bringing down enemy soldier after enemy soldier. Holodrum's general also went flying, though Link could see him get back up, shouting orders.

Yet they still came.

"Swords!"

With an almighty noise, hundreds of swords were drawn. Link gripped the Master Sword tightly and exchanged a glance with his general. "To the death, my lord?" the Twili asked.

Link nodded. "To the death."

The general grinned slightly and gave the order to charge. "_Gjald!_"

At the same time, the Hylians took up their call. "For Hyrule!"

And they took off running.

Fifty feet. Twenty feet. Ten.

Metal clashed on metal.

Battle was met.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: You better hope I update soon, especially with this cliff hanger. I'm getting better!<em>

_Things feel rushed in this chapter, as I am trying to convey the rushed feeling the characters have. Did I succeed?_

_So, I've really gotten back into writing again. But not so much with posting. What does this mean? I am several paragraphs away from finishing this story, but several chapters away from finishing posting it. I need to get back on the ball._

_Hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think!_

**_Gjald_**_ is Soolsetur for **Charge**._


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Midna paced nervously through the expansive gardens of Hyrule castle. She couldn't stay still, and luckily Otis had realized this, offering to stay and watch Nellie while the Twilight Queen dealt with her anxiety.

Still, even with the movement of pacing, Midna was still anxious. Was Link still alive? Would she ever see him again? She came upon another garden where, once, Nellie and Matt had played at toddlers among the flowers. The sweet smell surrounded the Twilight Queen, trying to provide comfort. And it was there that she came upon Zelda.

"Battle's been met," the Hylian Queen stated.

"How do you know?" Midna asked.

"I can sense Link through the Triforce. He's drawn a great reserve of courage from it, and that can only mean they've begun to fight."

"Oh, goddesses," Midna muttered.

"My thoughts exactly. But tell me, how is Nellie today?"

"Better. Otis thinks she's been able to get rid of the remaining poison. She's begun to hea normal rate. Basically, she's going to be fine if all continues to go well."

Zelda smiled slightly. "That's wonderful news. I'm so glad she's doing better."

Midna nodded. "Now I have more worry to place on my husband."

"Link will be fine."

"I know that. I'm just worried he'll somehow manage to crawl back here with terrible wounds as one of the few survivors and say that all is lost."

"But the Gorons should make it. They said they would be there by this afternoon."

"Well, let's pray to the goddesses that the army can hold out until then."

Zelda sighed. After a few moments, Midna spoke up again. "Did you ever find an answer to your question about the sacred maiden, or whatever it was called?"

The Hylian Queen nodded. "I am."

Midna studied her friend. "Well that makes sense."

"How so?"

"That spirit of the Master Sword called you 'your Grace'. I don't know about you, but I've always thought of that as a term for addressing a goddess." Midna grinned. "Well, in light of that information, Zelda, I pray to you to protect my husband!"

Zelda laughed. "I'll do my best, Midna."

* * *

><p>It seemed the goddesses heard their prayers. Though vastly outnumbered, the Hylians and Twili were holding their own. Perhaps it was because they hadn't marched very long and were rested, perhaps it was because they were more skilled and had magic on their side.<p>

Whatever the reason, it was as if they had been graced with good fortune, Hylians and Twili alike.

Matt couldn't be more glad for this as he ducked under an enemy's swing just in time and slashed back, incapacitating the man. The young Prince never aimed to kill, but to make sure his enemy wouldn't come back to get him. More often than not, he killed someone, but all in self-defense. He tried not to think on it, letting his skills with the blade and his will to survive the battle take over the forefront of his focus.

Breathing hard, he raised his sword to block another attacker, only to find himself pushed to the bloody ground. The enemy raised his sword, ready to strike, but an arrow sprouted from his chest and he toppled over. Matt looked around and saw the one-time traitor hurry up to him. "You alright?" Malo asked, hauling the Prince to his feet.

"Yeah. Thanks."

Malo nodded, shooting another arrow at a Holodrum soldier. "Try to stay alive," he said before engaging another enemy, bow against sword.

Matt raised his sword and charged at another enemy that was attacking a younger Twili, who had been disarmed. Once the soldier was down and the Twili recovered, the pair went off together, fighting and watching each other's backs.

An hour into the fight, and the battle still raged. Matt and his Twili companion, who he learned was called Ingano, were both tiring. "They just won't stop coming," Matt growled as he blocked another strike from an enemy soldier.

"They'll have to eventually," Ingano replied, firing off an orb of magic at his opponent and blinding him for a moment. Matt brought down his own opponent and cut off another attacker going for Ingano.

More and more time passed. Matt and Ingano found themselves fighting with Matthew, Link, and Colin. Matt was relieved to see his father still alive, though a bit battered. It was not long, however, before the ground began to shake. All fighting stopped, and forces instinctively separated to their own sides, unsure of what this new threat was.

"Is this an earthquake?" Ingano asked over the rumbling. Matt could only shrug in reply. He had never felt anything like this. Huge boulders rolled out of nowhere, shaking the ground and running down the Holodrum armies.

"Gorons!" Link shouted, his voice filling with hope. One of the largest boulders came up to Matthew and Link, unrolling into a huge, burly Goron, bigger than any Matt had ever seen. "Hey, bothers!" he boomed.

"Darbus, you and your Gorons are a sight for sore eyes," Matthew greeted joyfully.

"You have the Queens to thank. They told us of your situation. We are glad to help!"

"Midna and Zelda?" Link asked.

"Indeed, brother. Now, let us finish this!"

And Darbus charged with the rest of the army to battle against the odds. A renewed battle cry went up, and the scaled tipped in the favor of the Hylians and Twili with the aid of the Gorons.

* * *

><p>"Easy, now, Princess," Otis warned as Nellie slowly got to her feet. She paused as a wave of dizziness hit her, leaning against the wall. After a few more moments, she pushed off the wall, balancing precariously on her own two feet.<p>

"It's so weird that I have to learn something I've known how to do most of my life," she said softly, one hand out toward the wall in case she needed support.

Otis nodded. "Your strength will return in time, Princess, but I am glad you are healing so quickly." He grinned. "Your father is the same way."

Nellie smiled and took a tentative step forward, her smile widening as she succeeded in this small endeavor. She could feel her legs shaking from the effort. Quickly, she put a hand on the wall, afraid to lose her balance.

"You should get off your feet," Otis warned, moving closer so he could catch her in case she fell as she made her way back to the bed.

"Where did you say Mother was again?" the Princess asked as she sat back down on the edge of her bed.

"Her Majesty couldn't sit still. Last I knew, she was outside trying to calm her nerves. When she comes back, I can fetch you something to eat so you can get your strength back."

Nellie nodded, pulling her feet up onto the bed so she sat cross-legged. It hurt a bit to breath and she realized she pushed herself too far. But it was worth it!

She had finally stood without support, if only for a few seconds. She was going to live to see the end of the war! She was going to be able to run to Matt and thrown her arms around him when he came back.

"Don't get your hopes up too high, Princess," Otis told her as if reading her thoughts. "You're still gravely injured. You may not be able to walk without a lot of support for another week yet."

Nellie sighed, her mood dampening at the words. "Can I still go outside?" she asked, straining her injury slightly and deciding that she wouldn't speak for a while.

Otis studied her for a moment. "Perhaps. It's better if you take things slowly rather than all at once."

Nellie nodded. Otis was right. She had to take things slowly and before she knew it, she would be healed.

* * *

><p>Back on the battlefield, Link attacked with renewed vigor. With the odds in their favor, their chances of defeating Holodrum once and for all were higher. They only had to end the fight in their favor, and so Link was looking for Astor. Cut off the head of the snake and the rest will die, at least that's how the saying went.<p>

Pausing to catch his breath, Link looked around. Even with the Goron's aid, the Hylians and Twili were exhausted. They wouldn't be able to last much longer. The battle needed to end now.

Spotting the enemy king a fair way away, Link hurried forward, raising his shield to block the blow of another enemy. Once he brought the soldier down, the Hero moved on toward Astor. It took him fifteen minutes to reach the Holodrum king, and he arrived just in time to see one of his Twili brought down by the villain's blade. The Twili fell to the ground, breathing his last with his crimson blood staining the already soaked ground. Enraged, Link charged, only to have his blade blocked.

"Come to fight me, eh?" Astor taunted, backing off a few paces. "Come to join the dead?"

"You're the one who's going to join the dead," Link growled as he and his enemy circled each other.

Astor grinned maliciously. "We'll see where the fates lie, _Hero_. You cannot possibly best me, as I am stronger than you."

Link had to admit, the man was right. Astor was taller than Link, and had a bigger build all together. "I've faced the odds," the Hero replied. "And I've faced someone twice as big and strong as you, and I came out victorious. As we say in Ordon, don't count your cuccos until the eggs hatch." And with that, Link charged. The two exchanged blow after blow for several minutes, neither able to land a hit on the other. They backed off, eying each other for weaknesses

Astor charged again, and his and Link's sword locked at the hilt with the two pushing against each other. "Surrender," the villain growled. "You can't beat me."

"Yes, I can," Link replied, digging his feet into the ground and pushing against his opponent for all he was worth. Slowly, he gained the upper hand. He shoved, unlocking the swords and sent Astor tumbling to the ground. Link followed up with a Final Blow, but Astor rolled out of the way, and Link's blade only sunk into the ground. As he tried to pull his sword out of the ground, Astor got back to his feet.

Finally Link managed to free the Master Sword, but it was too late. Before the Hero could defend himself, the villain struck, his sword hitting home, cutting past cloth and chain mail. Link sank to the ground, his sword forgotten as blood soaked his tunic and the ground. "Any last words?" Astor asked, raising his sword.

Link looked up, feeling for the first time helpless. He could possibly fight with such a wound, but he needed time to recover. Here and now, there was no time. He glared: he would not give his enemy the satisfaction of seeing fear in his eyes. Astor swung the sword for the fatal blow, but he was cut off as an arrow stuck his arm. The man staggered back with a yell, ripping the arrow out, only to be struck with the bow that fired it.

Malo stood protectively in front of Link, another arrow on the string and aimed at Astor, who gave a nasty grin. "Well, well, if it isn't the Hylian traitor," the villain said. "You're very fickle when it comes to your county."

"Shut up. I'm a Hylian through and through. I will defend my home and my friend!" Malo retorted, his tone turning equally nasty. Link struggled to his feet, trying to get to Malo's aid.

Astor merely swung his sword. Malo made to block, but the bow was flung from his hands. The villain grabbed Malo by the throat with his free hand, hauling him off the ground. "Your friend couldn't best me. What makes you think you can? Huh?" He threw Malo to the ground, where he gasped for breath. The villain raised his sword once more, this time to end Malo.

As Link finally got to his feet, he heard a whispery voice. _Master...raise your sword skyward and charge the pure energy it holds, then swing your sword._

Link almost didn't trust the voice, but he felt he had heard it before. He lifted the Master Sword, and a flash of light slipped down the blade. He swung the blade diagonally, and a circular beam of energy flew from the blade, striking Astor and sending him stumbling. Link quickly followed with a spin attack – which knocked the villain off his feet – and then he leaped, blade point toward the ground in a Final Blow.

This time the strike hit its target. For a brief moment, Link and his enemy locked eyes. "This is for my daughter, my kingdom, and every innocent life you caused to be lost," Link snarled, his teeth bared like a wolf

Astor glared furiously, unable to reply. Link tore his sword from his enemy and took a few steps back, watching as Astor breathed his last. A flash of light ran up the blade once more, cleaning it.

All around, Holodrum soldiers saw this and dropped their weapons in defeat. A cheer broke out from the Twili, Hylians, and Gorons. The war was won!

Link pressed his hand against his side, trying to stop the bleeding. He sheathed his sword and held his free hand out to Malo, a pained grin on his face. "You saved my life," the Hero said as he hauled his friend up to his feet. "Thank you."

"And you saved mine," Malo replied, grinning back. "I guess we're even. So, thanks."

* * *

><p>Matthew put on a stern face as he watched the Holodrum general, Carter, approach. The man had managed to survive and had unofficially been made the leader of Holodrum. Carter bowed to Matthew. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me," the scarred man began.<p>

Matthew nodded. "I am willing to put this conflict behind us if you are. Our countries have done well together in the past, there is no reason why we can't return to each other's good graces in the future."

"I am willing to put this behind as well. My troops and I will leave Hylian lands and keep the borders as they were before the war, unless you want to take some of our territory as recompense for Holodrum's actions."

"No. It wouldn't be fair to your people to take your territory. We are fine as it is. All we want in Hyrule is peace, something that we haven't been able to hang onto for many years. So, keep your territory, and we'll keep to ours."

Carter nodded. After discussing the finer details of the surrender and treaty that was quickly written up, both men signed the document, and Carter, along with the remainder of his troops, began the march to Holodrum.

The soldiers set back out to the camp, carrying the dead and the wounded. Once the proper rites were done for the dead, and the wounded were cared for, Matthew and Link gave the order everyone was waiting for. At dawn, the troops headed out toward the east, toward home, a journey that would take a day at least, and if they kept at it without stopping for very long, they would reach Castle Town by daybreak the next day. The Gorons, too, headed back to their mountain as soon as they could, shaking the ground as they rolled. But soon, that, too, disappeared, leaving only peace.


	15. Chapter 14

_Author's note: Nice long chapter for ya'll, with fluff, reunions and some heartbreakers. :D By the way, I'm only posting this cause I just finished the whole story. You get another chapter and then it ends then and there. No epilogue this time. Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you think!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

Night shifts were always the worst. No one wanted to stand about in the chilly night air and barely be able to see anything. But of all the night shifts, the last one, just before dawn, was the worst. It was pointless to go back to bed afterward, and it was the coldest time, especially during winter. If one got a shift at night, he prayed he would have one of the earlier shifts. Of course, one would grumble if he was the unlucky one – guards usually did – but it was a job that put food on their table and, in these days, kept them from the front lines. Any complaints were simply hot air and nothing more.

Talo had been the unlucky one that night. Assigned the last shift of the night, he had woken at one in the morning to get ready for his shift at two. Then he would have to stand at the western battlements, shivering, until the sun rose around six. Four hours of standing and doing nothing. He had to keep reminding himself as he trudged out to the battlement that he could be out on the front line instead of with his wife and kids.

True, it was nobler to serve next to the king in battle, but Talo liked this better. He could carve small pieces of wood to sell on the side when his fingers wouldn't freeze from the bitter air. And judging by tonight's weather, he could get a small carving or two done.

He climbed up the stairs and went to his assigned spot. "Calm night, Cody?" he asked the soldier who looked ready to fall asleep where he stood.

"You betcha, Talo," the man replied wearily. "Alright, I'm gonna get some shut-eye. Have fun up here."

Talo grinned and watched his friend move slowly away. The Ordonian set his spear against the ramparts and leaned against the cold stone, staring out west, wondering what was going on. He had been on duty near the castle the other day, and had heard Queen Zelda frantically telling Queen Midna that battle was to be met soon. How Zelda knew, Talo couldn't guess. He could only pray for the safety of the soldiers in battle.

With a sigh, Talo took out a block of wood and a small knife and began to carve, glancing every now and then at the surroundings to make sure no one was sneaking up on the town. But for the most part, his thoughts remained on the carving of a goat that began to emerge, and on his brother. The last time Talo had carved an Ordon Goat was for Malo, more than seven years ago. He didn't want to think on how his brother was a traitor, as the goat constantly reminded him. But tonight he wanted to carve one, for old time's sake. He loved the challenge of getting the horns, which formed a circle over the goat's head, perfectly made.

He paused as he began to form the four legs, deep in though. Had Malo kept the carving he had made for him? He hoped so. That had been the first goat carving he had truly gotten the horns right. He sighed again and continued to carve.

Just before sunrise, Talo had finished the statuette, setting it on the stone ramparts before him, admiring his work and noting what could be changed. But mostly, all it needed now was some paint and it would be perfect.

"Bored?"

Talo looked up at the voice. "Hey, Ashei," he greeted. "It's not your shift, is it?"

The only female knight in the King's army shook her head. "Couldn't sleep, yeah? Shad doesn't help either; he can snore really loud sometimes."

Talo grinned. "So you thought you would come keep us company up here?"

Ashei nodded and leaned against the stone wall, looking at the goat statuette on the wall before Talo. "You made this?" she asked, pointing.

"Yeah."

The knight picked up the carving, admiring it closely. "I would pay a good rupee or two for work like that. More than for what you've been selling them, yeah?"

"It's only for a bit of side money, Ashei, not a profession."

"Still." Ashei ran her thumb over the back of the carving.

"If you want it, you can have it, you know," Talo said

"I couldn't."

"You can. Go ahead. I wasn't going to sell it anyway."

Ashei smiled and stowed the carving away with a nod of thanks. She leaned against the wall once more, staring out at the still-dark horizon. She squinted, as if trying to see further. Talo watched her. Like him, she had gotten out of going to war, but because she was a woman and because she was one of the King and Queen's best knight's. Talo wasn't sure how her husband, Shad, had gotten out of it either, but whatever the case, both had remained in Castle Town during the war. He sighed and watched the full moon sink to the horizon.

The sun finally began to grace the sky with its light, and Talo knew his shift was near an end.

"Do you see what I see out there?" Ashei asked, pointing. Talo leaned forward slightly, squinting. Something was approaching the town. A large something.

"Yeah, I see it. Where's my Hawkeye?" He hunted in the pouch on his belt and pulled the object out. He put the telescopic device to his eyes and took a better look at whatever it was that was coming.

"Well?" Ashei demanded.

"I can't tell. It's too dark." Talo handing the Hawkeye over to his companion, and she grumbled.

"Too hard to tell, yeah," she quipped, returning the device. "But it is coming toward us."

The two stood side by side, watching the approaching something and trying to figure out if it was a threat or not. By the time the sun rose, whatever it was was close enough to try the Hawkeye, just as Talo's replacement came.

"What are you looking at?" the soldier asked as Talo squinted through the Hawkeye.

"Dear goddesses," Talo muttered.

"What?" both Ashei and the guard asked, worry evident in their voices.

"That's the Hylian banner! Next to the Twili banner!" Talo pulled the Hawkeye off and turned to the guard. "Send for her Majesty. I think she'll want to see this."

The guard ran off, and Ashei grabbed the Hawkeye to study what Talo had seen. Within twenty minutes, the guard returned, a sleepy Zelda in tow.

"What's going on?" the Queen asked.

Talo offered the Hawkeye to his Queen. "We've seen the armies, your Majesty."

Zelda accepted the device and peered through it. "It is them," she said, and handed the Hawkeye back. "Please, inform me when they are closer."

"Aye, your Majesty," Talo's replacement said. He, Ashei, and Talo bowed as their monarch started back to the castle.

"Go ahead and rest, Talo," the guard said. "I got it from here."

Talo nodded his thanks and left, walking side by side with Ashei, as he tucked his Hawkeye away. "Want to come by and get breakfast?" Ashei asked. "The kids are always happy to see you, yeah? And its a way for me to pay for the goat carving."

Talo grinned. "That would be nice, thank you."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the whole town was awake, either from their normal routine, or from the activity caused by the arrival of the army. The town was alive again with wives greeting long-gone husbands, fathers scooping their children into their arms. Talo and Ashei, now joined by Shad, had seen Link and Prince Matt head off toward the castle. Talo had even seen Matthew and Zelda greeting each other with a passionate kiss.<p>

Talo was searching the crowd of soldiers for Colin, having been told that his friend had survived. Finally, after ten minutes of searching, Talo saw the blond-haired knight talking with someone else. Talo called out to his friend, only to stop as he saw who Colin was talking with. For a moment, both stared at each other. "M-Malo?" Talo asked with disbelief.

"Yeah, it's me, Talo," Malo replied. Talo took a few steps forward and embraced his brother.

Once he let his brother go, Talo tried speak, still astounded. "I thought... Why..."

Before Malo could explain, a soldier walked up to them. "Their Majesties want to talk with you, Malo," he said, his voice flat and tired from marching.

"Now?" Malo asked.

"Now."

Malo sighed. "Where?"

"By the castle gates."

"What's going on?" Talo asked his now pale brother. Colin quickly explained as they made their way through the crowd of Hylians and Twili. Talo was silent as he and Colin waited off to the side while Malo approached Zelda and Matthew. The three began to talk quietly.

"You think he'll get the pardon?" Talo asked.

"I hope so."

After a few minutes, Malo bowed and started back to them, beaming. And Talo knew his brother was back to stay.

* * *

><p>Matt entered the castle grounds by himself. After greeting his mother and somehow losing Link on the way in, he finally reached the doors to his home. He started to push the door open.<p>

"Hello, Matt." The Prince jumped and turned. Midna was standing nearby, as if she had just melted from the shadows. "I'm glad to see you back in one piece," the Twilight Queen continued, a slight smile on her face.

"Thank you," Matt replied. "Um...how's Nellie."

Midna's expression went blank as she studied him. "Come. There is something you need to know." With a motion of her hand, she started off through the gardens. Matt had a feeling of dread, but followed her anyway. She was silent the whole way, and whenever Matt tried to speak up, she would glance at him, as if asking him to be quiet.

They came to an archway into a secluded garden, and Midna stepped to the side, motioning again to Matt. Assuming that she was now going to talk to him, here in this secluded garden, he entered, saying, "I don't understand. What's-" He stopped as he turned.

Midna was no where to be seen.

Matt sighed. What was going on? Was she trying to delay the bad news? He started toward the arch again, but stopped once more. Singing had caught his ears. He turned to face the source, but found that the singer was obscured by the large rose bushes that filled the garden. Curiosity piqued, he walked forward, rounding the bend on the path. Then he saw the singer.

She faced away from him, sitting on a stone bench next to a large Hylian Winter Rose bush. A loose, dark tunic hung from her shoulders, and he could see she wore a pair of loose pants as well. Her red hair cascaded down her back, held in place only by a white headband. She sang in Soolsetur, her voice soft and wavering on the foreign words. Her scarred, pale, and slender hand reached out to admire one of the late-blooming roses.

Matt moved closer to her, as if in a dream, and she stopped singing, finally aware of his presence. She turned, and her sparkling blue eyes widened, as did her smile. "Matt!"

Matt moved toward Nellie as she stood, and the two embraced. He kissed the top of her head, so happy to have her in his arms again. "I'm so glad to see you're on your feet," he said. "I've been so worried."

Nellie looked up at him. "Only just," she replied, her face solemn. "The other day I was able to stand, but not for long. I'm not supposed to talk much either."

"But you were singing." Matt helped her back onto the bench.

Nellie nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Don't tell anyone," she whispered slyly.

Matt chuckled and hugged her again. "I missed you, Nel, so much."

"I missed you, too, though it hasn't been that long."

"I still missed you." He leaned his face closer, and she met him half way in a kiss. "Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have your love?" he asked after a moment

"Yes," Nellie replied with a grin. "Several times."

"Well I am."

Nellie leaned her head on Matt's shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. The Prince of Hyrule sighed peacefully. With the war over and things getting back to normal, there was nothing standing between him and Nellie. Well, other than the fact that she lived in a completely different realm. But that didn't matter. He would find his way around it.

"I should tell you," Nellie spoke up. "I'm going to be going home in a week. Mother and Doctor Otis think I'll be healed enough."

"We'll have to visit each other, won't we?"

"Yes. I would do anything to see you."

"As would I."

Nellie kissed him again, and Matt replied in kind.

* * *

><p>Midna grinned, looking down at her daughter and the man she loved as they talked softly from her vantage point on a higher wall. She couldn't be more happy for Nellie. Matt seemed to complete the young Twilight Princess.<p>

"Spying, huh? That's an all new low for you."

Midna turned to see a grinning Link, and she immediately hugged him. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said. "I was so worried."

"Well, the Gorons helped us out immensely."

"It was all Zelda's idea. I just went along with her."

"Still." They exchanged a passionate kiss, only to part when Midna felt Link flinch.

"You're injured," Midna said, worry filling her voice.

"I'm fine. I didn't lose that much blood and, frankly, it's just a superficial scra-" He cut off sharply as Midna laid a gentle hand on his side where the wound was. The Hero hissed a curse, shying away from the Twilight Queen's touch.

"Just superficial, huh?"

"Yes. It is."

"I don't believe you. How did it happen?"

Link hesitated, knowing how protective his wife could be. "Well, I kinda picked a fight with Astor, and I sort of got caught off guard."

"And?" Midna pressed.

"Well, it wasn't so much as me getting caught off guard as getting my sword caught in the ground as I tried to finish the fight...and then I got caught off guard."

Midna rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to know when to use that attack," she insisted. "Not every enemy stays on the ground for the span of time it takes to use it."

"You know, I find it funny that you're giving me advice about something I knew before you knew about it."

"Whatever. I'm just glad you're still alive." She hugged him again, mindful this time of his injury.

"And Nellie?" Link questioned.

"Alive and on the mend."

"Good." Link smiled and pulled his wife close for another kiss.

* * *

><p>The sound of the wind blowing through the trees greeted the three soldiers as they entered Faron Woods and followed the well-worn path to the smallest province in Hyrule. Talo was in the lead, eagerly awaiting the sight of his parents' reaction when they saw Malo, who walked a pace or so behind his brother, almost in awe of the sights as if he had never been in these woods before. Colin hesitantly brought up the back, silent in his thoughts.<p>

He was going to have to tell his sister that her husband hadn't survived the war. Already, Ross' parents had been informed, and if their reaction had been anything to go by, Ruth's would be unbearable.

"Why the long face, Colin? We're almost home!" Talo said excitedly.

"You know why," Colin replied flatly. Talo shrugged and continued onward. "Besides," Colin continued, "why are you so excited? You got to visit during the war."

"I'm excited for you...and apparently Malo as well." Talo studied his brother's anxious expression.

"I _am_ exited that I'm back," Malo said, glancing at the Faron Spirit Spring as they passed it. "I just have a feeling Dad's going to scold me something awful."

"Like he did when we chased that monkey into Faron right before the Twilight War. Boy that was awful!"

"Yeah, thanks to Colin here."

Colin rolled his eyes. "I thought you guys got over that," he stated, momentarily distracted from his worries.

Malo grinned. "We have, duh. Just reminiscing the old days."

"Malo, you were six. I bet you barely remember anything," Talo replied as they started across the wooden bridge

"I remember some stuff, okay?"

The two brothers began to bicker as only brothers could, slowing their pace. Colin sighed and moved in front of them. He wanted to get his task over with. He reached the far side of the bridge, still not officially in Ordon Village yet, and turned. Malo and Talo were still toward the middle, deep in their conversation. "Goddesses, shut up and hurry up, you two," the knight said. "I want to get home." The brothers quieted and caught up and continued to Ordon.

As they neared the Ordona Spirit Spring, Colin heard the sound of children's laughter. The three soldiers stopped in the entrance to the spring and saw Ruth, Luda, Beth, and their children. Colin's sons were the first to notice them. They splashed out of the shallow water with a cry of "Dad!" and nearly knocked the knight off his feet. Then the rest followed.

It was a rather happy reunion, filled with joyful exclamations at Malo's return, and lots of laughter – especially when Talo was knocked off his feet and into the spring by his five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.

But it was cut short when Ruth spoke up. "Colin, where's...where's Ross?"

Colin looked up at his sister, younger than him by ten years. He had always tired to protect her, but there was no way to ease this pain. He could see her expression growing darker with worry and sorrow. Colin forged reluctantly ahead. "Ruth, he...didn't make it. I...I'm sorry."

Tears slid down his sister's cheeks. "No. You're lying," she said. "You've got to be lying! He said he would come back! He promised!"

Colin moved forward, hugging his sister. He sent a desperate look toward his wife. Beth understood and told her her eldest son to escort the children from the spring. Only the adults remained, unable to give comfort to the sobbing Ruth.

"He died with valor, Ruth," Colin said eventually. "And with your name on his lips."

"How?" she sobbed in reply.

"He was wounded in battle and got infected soon after. We all tried to help him, but by the time we realized how bad his wounds were getting, it was too late." With a sigh, he realized that only his mother could give Ruth comfort now. "Come, let's go home." They walked through the forest and into town, the only sounds coming from their group was Ruth's uncontrolled sobs. Colin looked around Ordon, taking in the sights of the home he hadn't seen in many months, and spotted his mother, Uli, listening as Colin's younger son animatedly told her something.

Uli's gaze landed on her daughter, and her happy expression fell. She told her grandson to run along and hurried over. "What happened?" she asked.

As Ruth began to sob out a reply, Colin glanced at Malo. "Good luck with your parents," he said. "You may need it."

Malo nodded his thanks as Talo led him toward his house. Colin watched, slightly amused at the scene, before turning to Beth and hugging her. "I'm so glad the war's over," Beth said.

"Me, too," Colin replied, shutting his eyes. He held his wife close, listening to his mother attempt to console Ruth. Yelling split the air, and Colin glanced over at Talo and Malo's house. Malo seemed to shrink as his father attempted to get over his shock via reprimand. Then Malo's mother came out to see what the commotion was. She looked utterly surprised, came forward – pushing her husband out of the way – and hugged her long lost son.


	16. Chapter 15

_Author's note: for reference, this takes place about twelve/thirteen years after the previous chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

"Ready?" Matt asked, turning to Nellie and admiring her. As usual, she looked amazing, but today more so than usual. Her long red hair was styled up for once, though some strands had managed to free themselves, only to be tucked behind her pointed ears. The sparkling crown on her head only accented her beauty. Her long dress was clearly of the Hylian style, but Nellie had insisted that there be some Twili influence, so the rich green-blues that the Twili so loved were made accents on the strapless crimson dress she wore.

"Of course I'm ready," Nellie replied, grinning at her husband. He too, was dressed in his finest: the gold-accented red tunic fit him wonderfully, and his dark pants and polished boots only helped it stand out. "The question is," she said, studying him, "are you?"

Matt's broad shoulders slumped. "No. Not at all." He looked around the room in Hyrule Castle they were waiting in. "If we escape now, we have a chance of hiding before they come looking for us."

Nellie laughed. "I feel sorry for the people. Your parents are leaving them in the hands of a coward."

Matt glared teasingly at her jest and ran a hand through his neatly combed hair before realizing what he had done as his hand nearly knocked the crown off his head.

"Oh, wonderful job," Nellie teased again, helping her now panicking husband fix his hair. "Deep breaths, Matt, it's not that bad."

Matt sighed. "How are you so calm?"

"Must be a Twili thing," Nellie replied with a shrug.

"Couldn't be. Andrew wasn't calm when your parents abdicated last year. He was a heaving ball of nerves...literally!"

Nellie grinned, remembering her brother's panic attack the night before he was crowned King of the Twilight. He had made himself sick with anxiety, and his wife hadn't helped either. "Andrew's weird like that. He was always more like Father, minus the immense courage." She studied Matt's pale face. "Just, whatever you do, don't loose your lunch."

"Trying."

An attendant looked in on the couple. "Ten minutes, your Majesties," he said, before leaving as fast as he came.

"Goddesses, help me," Matt muttered, and began to pace.

Nellie rolled her eyes and sat down, smoothing her dress. She let her hand linger just below her stomach. In the almost ten years she and Matt had been married, they had no children, and not for lack of trying. The only time they had been close to having a child resulted in a sudden and inexplicable miscarriage, leaving the couple, especially Nellie, devastated for months. Not only that, but Nellie was now weeks away from turning thirty, and by this point, both Midna and Zelda had had several children.

Even Andrew and his wife, Mia, had a set of rambunctious twins to occupy their days. Natasha was well on her way to her second child, and Eve, her first. Only Nico, just barely turned twenty, was unmarried, though Nellie had heard rumors from her family Nico wouldn't be a bachelor for much longer.

Only Matt and Nellie remained without children, a fact that would hopefully soon change. Nellie had known for the last two months that there was a child on the way, her reasons for not telling Matt were lying in her fear that if she told him, they would get their hope up, only to result in another devastating miscarriage. Only she and the Royal Family's doctor knew, and she planned on keeping it that way for a few weeks more at most.

"You alright?" Matt asked, walking over to her. "You suddenly don't look as calm as you claim you are."

Nellie looked up at him and he knelt next to her. "I'm fine, Matt," Nellie assured him. "The coronation was the hardest part. Now we just have to dance and not trip over our feet and we'll be good!"

Matt grinned. "You know I can't dance."

"You can. And you will."

"Yes, my love. I'll try."

Nellie smiled and reached out to hug him. He kissed her lightly in return, wrapping his own arms around her shoulders.

A knock pulled them from their embrace. Eve entered, looking beautiful in her emerald gown, despite the seven months of pregnancy showing clearly among the folds of her dress. "It's time, you two," she said. "I hope you're ready to not fall over your feet like you did at Natasha's wedding."

"I got tangled in my dress," Nellie protested, though there was a smile on her face at the memory.

Eve laughed. "Sure. But anyway, come on!"

Matt and Nellie followed Eve from the chamber toward the ballroom for the celebration of Matt and Nellie's coronation. Nellie laid her hand on Matt's arm as they stopped by the doorway, where Eve's husband, Tom, was waiting. Eve took her husband's arm and flashed Matt and Nellie a quick, confident smile before stepping forward.

The announcer cleared his throat. "Their Royal Highnesses, Princess Evelyn Harkinian del Rio and Prince Thomas del Rio of Hyrule!"

Eve and Tom stepped into the ballroom. Nellie took a deep breath. Matt grinned at her.

"Their Royal Majesties, King Matthew Daphnes Harkinian the Second and Queen Nellisandra Twilandi Harkinian of Hyrule!"

They entered the ballroom to applause, fully aware of the gazes of each and every guest as they descended the short stairs into the lavishly decorated room. Nellie felt the tip of her shoe catch the low hem of her dress, even though she was holding it up slightly. Before she could stop, she toppled forward. The crowd gasped, and Matt caught her just in time, pulling her back to safety.

Nellie felt her face redden with embarrassment. "Are you alright?" Matt asked as he helped her down the last few steps.

"Yes, goddesses, just get me out of here."

Matt chuckled. "I wish. Come on, and be careful."

They reached the center of the ballroom just in time and music – their favorite waltz – began to play. As was custom, they had to start the first dance by themselves, a perfect opportunity for more embarrassing moments. As they began to dance, Nellie caught sight of her family. Midna and Link looked proud, Andrew was preoccupied with one of his kids, and Nico was smirking at her.

"Ugh, my brother is so immature," she said to Matt.

"Nico's making faces?" Matt replied.

"Yup."

"Ignore him. One day, he'll trip down a set of stairs and we'll get to laugh at him."

For a few more minutes, they danced without mishap, and were soon joined by other couples. Midna and Link swept by gracefully. "It seem like only yesterday they were toddlers," Midna commented as she glanced at her daughter and son-in-law. "Now they have families of their own... They grow up so fast!"

"They do," Link agreed. He smiled at her. "It's bittersweet to see them like this, but they'll do fine. Matt and Nellie will make great monarchs, as Andrew and Mia do."

Midna nodded. Another song started up, much slower in tempo. Link drew his wife closer and they danced on.

* * *

><p>"Matt," Nellie said later that evening, around midnight as they danced to yet another song.<p>

"Yes?" he asked.

"Can we sit down? I don't feel well."

"Of course."

The royal couple started weaving through the crowd to the sides of the ballroom where there were chairs. Nellie's vision swam, and she allowed Matt to guide her with an arm around her waist. But before they reached the edge of the dance floor, her vision blackened and her knees gave out.

* * *

><p>As the evening progressed on, children were put to bed and the adults continued to celebrate. Near midnight, Midna and Link found themselves chatting near the refreshments table with Andrew, Mia, Natasha, Zelda, and Matthew. Suddenly a commotion went up from the dance floor. Calls for a doctor rang out, and were answered by the Royal Family's doctor, who quickly disappeared into the crowd. "Oh, goddesses, what happened now?" Natasha wondered, standing up to try to get a better view of whatever happened, but the crowd was too thick.<p>

Nico pushed his way through and hurried over to his parents. "It's Nellie," he said breathlessly. "She fainted."

"Fainted?" Midna repeated, worry in her voice.

Nico shrugged. "I don't know why," he added. "She just suddenly collapsed. Matt caught her just in time, again, but he's worried."

Midna looked ready to fight her way through the guests to her daughter, but the crowd parted, murmuring, as Matt and the doctor supported a pale Nellie out of the room. Matthew quickly stepped forward and took hold of the situation before it got out of hand, thanking the guests for their attendance and their well wishing. The party was officially over. The immediate family of the newly crowned King and Queen of Hyrule hurried out of the room to find out what had happened with Nellie.

They found Matt waiting outside the very same room he and Nellie had occupied before the ball. "What happened?" Link asked, beating the others to the question.

"I have no idea," Matt replied, running his hand nervously over the edge of his crown. "She was telling me she wasn't feeling well, that she wanted to sit down. She looked awfully pale, too. We were trying to get out of the crowd and to some seats when she suddenly fainted. She woke up within a few seconds." He sighed, worry etching his face. Even now, over twelve years since the war against Holodrum, the War of the West as it had been deemed, Matt still was highly protective of Nellie, having never really gotten over her near-fatal injury during the war.

The door opened, and Doctor Allan stepped into the hallway, inviting only Matt, Midna, Link, Zelda, and Matthew into the room. The siblings and their respective spouses were told to stay out in the hall until further notice, and the door was shut once more.

Inside the room, Nellie was lying on one of the couches, still pale. Her dress was wrinkled and her shoes had been discarded off to the side. Her crown had been placed on a nearby table, and her hair was coming loose. She set the glass of water she was sipping from aside and sat up as both her parents and her husband came to hug her. "I'm fine," she assured them with a weary smile. "Really, I am."

"Then why did you faint?" Matt asked.

Nellie sighed. "I was going to tell you soon anyway," she muttered.

"Tell us what?" Link asked.

"Perhaps, your Majesty, now is best," Doctor Allan suggested from his place by the door.

Nellie sighed again. "I'm expecting a child."

Her voice was so soft, that everyone in the room thought they had misheard her.

"How long have you known?" Matt asked, sitting next to her and hugging her.

"Two months. I know, I should have said something sooner, but..." Nellie trailed off and glanced at the doctor. When he had first confirmed her suspicions two months ago, she had asked him to be quiet about the matter, and he had agreed on the condition that she be the one to give the reasons for keeping the news down. The new Queen of Hyrule took a deep breath. "I was worried," she said. Tears formed in her eyes. "I didn't want to get my hopes up because of the last time-"

"Nel, hush," Matt cut in. "It's all right. I understand. I would be scared, too." Nellie nodded, brushing the tears from her face.

Matthew and Zelda exchanged a glance as Midna sat down on her daughter's other side. Quietly, the former King and Queen of Hyrule slipped out of the door, knowing everything was fine.

* * *

><p>"Well this is great," Nico stated sarcastically as he sat down on the marble floor. Eve and Natasha followed suite, though more slowly. "First she trips down the stairs and then she faints at her own party."<p>

"Oh, be nice," Natasha's husband, Lance, said, slightly teasing. "You don't know what the circumstances are."

Nico sighed. "I know. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just astounded at the lack of luck that seems to follow our family around." The others were rather quick to agree, most of them having been kidnapped during the Time of the Stolen.

"I hope Nellie's alright, though," Mia muttered.

"She'll be fine," Andrew assured his wife. "She survived worse during the War of the West."

"What happened?" Nico asked. "I didn't hear of anything like that."

"That's because it was kept from us. Mother and Father didn't want us knowing she was seconds away from death."

"But they told you later?"

"Well...no. Nellie did, after I asked her why Doctor Otis kept checking on her."

Nico nodded after a few moments of thought. "That makes sense now that I know why." He grinned. "And that only proves the point that our family has really bad luck sometimes."

They were all quiet for what seemed like hours. All were tired from the coronation ball, but they were too worried to rest. Eventually, they all ended up sitting on the floor, waiting for some news. Finally, Zelda and Matthew emerged, smiling.

"How is she?" Andrew and Nico asked at the same time.

"Fine," Matthew replied. "She's going to be fine. She's overworked, but all she needs is rest."

"So what caused it?" Eve asked sleepily as she lifted her head off Tom's shoulder.

"You'll find out later" Zelda answered. "For now, all of you, go to bed. Especially you, Eve and Natasha."

Husbands helped wives off the floor and they all tromped off to bed. Only Nico remained. "So what's wrong?" the Prince asked again, his curiosity not allowing him to leave quite yet.

Zelda smiled. "Your sister is expecting a child." And with those words, the former Queen of Hyrule started down the hall, arm in arm with her husband.

Nico watched them go before grinning. "Well how about that," he muttered. He waited a few more minutes and was rewarded by the sight of his weary sister and brother-in-law coming out of the room, shortly followed by Midna, Link, and the doctor – who went off down the hall. "Hey, congrats, sis!" Nico said, getting to his feet. "Zelda told me the good news."

Nellie rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Nico," she replied tiredly.

"But I still think you tripping on the stairs was hilarious."

"I got that message from your smirk."

"Alright, Nico, that's enough," Midna said, putting her hand on her son's shoulder. "All of you, go on to bed."

Nico sighed but did as he was told, wishing his family a good night. He gave Nellie a sincere smile and hurried off, only to nearly trip over his own feet.

"Wow, that was smooth," Nellie teased as her brother picked himself up off the floor. Nico turned to make a face at her. "You deserved it," Nellie added.

The two siblings and Matt began to bicker for several minutes as the group made their way through the now-quiet corridors to the residential halls where the Hylian Royal Family and their guests stayed.

"All right," Link said, cutting through the banter and stopping Nico mid-sentence. "It's late. You all can argue another time." Nico grinned and wished his family goodnight again before disappearing into the room he where he was staying. The others quickly followed his lead.

Link paused in the doorway of the room he was sharing with Midna, watching Nellie and Matt walk at a slow pace down the hall toward their own room, arm in arm, talking quietly to each other. The Hero grinned and entered his room, shutting the door behind him.

"Can you help me with this?" Midna asked, fumbling with a clasp on the back of her dress.

"Yeah, hold still," Link told her, moving behind her. He quickly undid the back of his wife's dress, which she slipped out of gratefully.

"Most annoying garment ever," she stated as she draped it over a chair. Link laughed and shed his own fancy clothes, opting for a comfortable pair of pants. Midna also slipped into a pair of pants and donned a loose shirt before climbing into bed and gathering the blankets about her.

"Don't hog the covers," Link admonished teasingly as he went to join his wife.

"I got here first," the Twili countered before jokingly offering her husband a small corner of the blankets and sheets on the bed.

Link accepted the corner, but yanked on it, taking the majority of the covers for himself. "Ha!" he gloated triumphantly.

"Hypocrite," Midna muttered, failing to retrieve some portion of the covers. "Look who's the blanket hog now."

Link only grinned. "You could make an offer and I'll give you your half...if I agree with it."

"What kind of offer?" Link only grinned in reply. Midna rolled her eyes, but leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. Link's grin widened.

"That's a reasonable offer," he stated slyly. He held out the blankets to her, but moved them out of her grasp when she reached for them.

"Oh, come on, Link, you promised."

"Did I?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Midna sighed. "Come on, Link, just give it over. Don't be unfair."

Link finally complied, moving to kiss his wife. Midna laid back, bringing Link with her. After a few moments, they parted, their faces a mere inch apart. "My dear," Link said, his voice low and soft. "Don't you know that old saying? All is fair in love and war."

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: did anyone catch the reference to <strong>Marvel's Avengers<strong>? It's incredibly subtle, but it's there. Ah, what a great movie! Anyway, this is it, my longest single fanfiction I've ever written (I think). This is the end. And by the end, I mean there aren't going to be any major sequels. I love the story I've created here, and it's two prequels, and I just can't abandon it. So I've decided to put up a few one-shots, mostly in my One Hundred Theme Challenge, which I encourage you all to read, even the cringe-worthy ones. The first one-shot of this series will be posted either today or tomorrow, depending on the procrastination level of my homework. :P_

_Thanks to all who've read, favorited, alerted, ect. (I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE!) and I hope you enjoyed The Legend of Zelda: Love and War. Don't be a stranger. Come by and read the other stories I've posted. You won't be disappointed!_

_~TwiliRupee_


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